US1035216A - Passenger-car for railways. - Google Patents

Description

H. MoNULTA.

. PASSENGER CAR FOR RAILWAYS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1909. 1,035,216.; Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 1.'

Inventor flex/fut aw W612, Waxy;

Y H. MoNULTA.

PASSENGER CAR FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 28, 1909.

WITNESSES: IN VEN TOR A TTORNE Y H. MQNULTA.

PASSENGER CAR FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1909.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H. MoNULTA. PASSENGER CAR FOR RAILWAYS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1909.

1,035,216. Patented Aug. 13,1912.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

IN VEN TOR .AJTORNEY aw/A H. MoNULTA.

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WITNESSES:

H. MONULTA PASSENGER CAR FOR RAILVVAYS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1909.

7 SHEET8SHBET 7.

add 216;,

v fltto'rhey'.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT MGNULTA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PASSENGER-CAR FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

Application filed June 28, 1908. Serial Io. 504,651.

To all whom it may concem;

Be itknown that I, HERBERT MONULTA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Passenger-Cars for Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates generally to improvements in passenger cars for railways, more particularly to that type commonly known as trolley or street cars, and especially to that type of cars known as side or center entrance cars,

The prime object of my invention is to avoid the necessity of an step structure or steps between the groun gers may simultaneously, without obstructmg each other, enter and pass therefrom,

and do so without traversingmore than half the length of the car, and to provide means whereby the ease of entering and leaving the car is substantially promoted, the exertion of the passenger therefor materially lessened and the time consumed thereby re duced to a minimum. I

Another object of my invention is apassenger car the entrances and exits and the platform of which are so arranged that it is for the first time practicable to truss the, car structure with diagonal truss members located above the line of window rails or sills without annoyingly obstructing the view of passengers, and to construct the side frames in a truss of greater relative dept-h than heretofore constructed; whereby the weight of passenger cars of the same general dimensions may be substantially reduced without impairing their strength, durability or appearance, and whereby the power necessary to propel them may be correspondmgly reduced.

A further object of my invention is to provide means by which all passengers eutering and passing from a stepless car are at all times directly in front of and in close proximity to the conductor when standing in a osition convenient for receiving fares and or carrying out his duties in connection with the operation of the car, and whereby the motorman or driver of the car is entirely relieved of any responsibility for or interference by such passengers.

Another and important object of my inand the car plat form,'and to have the entrances to and theexits from the car so arranged that passen-,

vention is a stepless car, the entrances and exits of which are so arranged as to provide for a substantial increase in the number of seats in a car of given length, as compared with end plat-form cars.

Another important object of my invention is an arrangement of entrances and exits of of a passenger car providing for floor spaces to be occupied by standing passengers, near the entrances and exits, and thereby readily available to them.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel arrangement of gates or doors at the entrance and exit of the car platform, so that the side of the platform may be closed or opened and so that on a center platform car either side of the car may be open and the other side closed by one set of doors or gates shifted by the conduetor without leaving the platform.

- A still further object of my invention is to provide in a passenger car having either end or center platforms and having separate entrance and exit assages for passengers, doors or ates to tie compartments of the car, move in construction and operation within convenient reach of the conductor from the position he will usually occupy when the car is in operation, and which can be easily manipulated by passengers entering or leaving the compartments; the novel arrangement of these doors being such as to permit the construction of the platforms of end or center platform cars with platform center or intermediate sills or supports substantially integral with or continuations of the center or intermediate sills of the car body, and clear of the truck wheels and motors when such truck wheels or motors are located so closely to the platform that they will barely clear the outside platform sills or knees.

A further object of my invention is to have the trolley pole of an electric car in such an arrangement relatively to the car body that the plane inclosing the trolley pole will be so nearly tangent to the over head wire on curves at the point of contact of the trolley wheel or shoe with the wire that the liability of the wheel or shoe to leave the wire at a curve is reduced to a minimum, and the wear on both wheel and wire reduced; andan arrangement whereb the trolley rope is within convenient reaci of and under the control of the conductor standing on the center platform with the sible of passage by double passengers enterin and passing therefrom irectly in front of him.

Still another and important object of my invention is a passenger car, the entrances and'exits of w ich are arranged relatively to the body thereof, and the platforms so constructed that a triple decked or floored car may be produced by addin a deck or floor above the dropped center oor or platform, with a minimum increase in the height of the car whereby the triple decked car may pass through tunnels and under bridges and into car house doors which, owing to their restricted hei ht, are imposecked cars as heretofore constructed, whether with a roof .over the upper deck or without a roof, and

having passengers standing upright thereon. The construction b which the triple decked car is made ossible with minimum height is such that t e trucks may be separated toward the end of the car as far as clearance for the car onecurves will permit, allowing seats for a considerable number of passengers on the platform deck who will therefore'traverse no steps, and allowing a material increase in the floor space and in seats for passengers on the upper deck located nearer the ground than on double decked cars as heretofore constructed, with but slight increase in the weight of the car over that of a single decked ,car. In addition for a subway or underground car this construction permits several separate entrances and exits on both lower and uper decks, so that passengers may enter and cave attwo levels, or again pas'sangers may enter at one level and leave at the other,

thus facilitating loading and unloading, and reducing the interference between entering and leaving passengers.

With these ends in view, my invention finds embodiment in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing are obtained; as fully described with reference to the accompanyin drawings and more particularly pointe out in the claims.

In said drawings:-Figure 1 illustrates in side elevation a trolley car embodying a part of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view in horizontal section on line wb of Fig 1. Fig, 3 is a vertical cross section of the same car on line cd of Fig. 1. Fi 4 shows a side elevation of a triple decked car embodying a part of my invention. Fig. 5 is a plan view in horizontal section of the car shown in Fig. 4, that portion to the left of the line 15--16 being a section at line 17--18 of Fig. 4, and that portion to the right of line15, 16 being a section on the line 19-20 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is aplan of the platform of the car shown in Fig. 1, showing the central portion of Fi 2 on an enlarged scale and 1n more detail. Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are plan views inhorizontal section through the doors of several arrangements of non-reversible doors between the platform and the compartment of a car. Fi 10 is a plan view in horizontal section 0 an arrangement of reversible com artment doors, being a modification o the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 6. Fi 11 is a plan view in horizontal section 0 the compartment doors shown in Fig. 10, and illustrates the position of parts during the operation of reversing the doors. Fig. 12 is a plan view of the roof of a trolley car showing the arrangement of the trolley pole with reference to the body ofthe car which embodies a part of my invention,

In passenger cars as heretofore constructed the floor or the platform has been at such height that one or more exterior steps have been constructed by which the passenger mounts to the floor or platform from the ground or track level, street cars requiring one or more steps, so called inter-urban and steam railway passenger cars requiring two or more steps. In ractice these steps are of greater individual rise than is common in ordinary Stairways, so that the exertion required of the assenger is greater than if the same hei t were reached by steps of less indivi ual rise Also the larger-the individual rise and the larger the number of steps in continuous flight the greater the exertion required and the time consumed by the passenger in making a safe and secure entrance to or exit from the car. To reduce the exertion and time reuired by the passenger to enter or to leave t e car, and to make the entrance and exit more safe and secure, a part of my invention is embodied in a stepless car having a ortion of its floor or its platform lower to or constructed at a level that it may be mounted directly from the ground by the passenger taking one step, such floor or platform extending across the car referably from sill to sill, and communicating with the main floor of the car located over the trucks and wheels by means of an inclined plane or of but few ste s of convenient, and preferably of easy rise and tread, said steps being at a substantial distance from the point of entrance to the platform.

In the accompanying drawings in which like figures indicate like parts a portion of the fioor or the platform 21 is located at a height from the ound or from the top of the rail 22 that it may be mounted by the passenger taking one step, and extends across the car from outside sill 23 to outside sill 24, its length longitudinally of the car being such as may be desired within the limits imposed by clearance for the trucks 25'. Steps or stairs 26, 27 lead from the platrated from the exit pass'bl t S si0 fwn him at '33, behin'clthe. railing. 134,-

wheniea'ving. the car I compsirtineyit 28 through the doqr '36 down 1 th stepsfl'l' through-the exitpassa e 30,;at level off-the Iplatfonn'=21, an to the "l 'lfh, 'cair' illusltraited' -in "Figs; 4 and 5 the passage 29 "on 'the' platform- 21 and thedoor and stepsFQfi seryiiig fr5b0th enterili and la'v-ing assengersi 's liis both. the fe r rinu'strated mt m xhee e em n the: SCQiiCQIiStl'liCt-MIIS, such 'sm'buildindga. ex"

v 's 'tegsto assenger car'is l I lh swig "t in" L'and in' s'ome 'thimeu inehesg e la g r rise being'us'egl' {3n cars-for reducing the number With the'const'rue- {is the platfqi'ni'i zltothemaififiqer individual rise er thgtAiii 'theusual'construction, and the i'dth'jof the 'lplatfoifm mama to.='extehd 1 the "platform 21 y constructio 'showh tgiidiiig *fnrm sill= across the c'zir and steps and 27 arranged for entering and leaving the com pa'rtment 28, but I have preferred to show my invention applied to side or center enifromithe I H e -drawi igs 'the sleepe -26 I 5 and the steps .26fi m'ount'e'd by: entering passenge f are located 'at-algis bstantialdistance 'mnd 1' om exeeed' eight;- inches;

ttar'ice eats sixi'ce thishndother featuresemfurthermore some of these 'feaf'ures areim- "oz ieenterehtrences. hlgamewarethat passen f c ars' havefbeen the ear, and that side o1 en tetfemm we s-hat e t nstm ieivi i mof; side-0r centez entrance havinglbeen constructed with segiii'a'te entrance {zindfexit passa [from the to theflplatform "on. eit ex omboth sides 9i the'car and; hailing at t-hesa ne time separate entrance-5w {exit ;strueted iirith the iilatform "at suchknfitiiiw'e flQqr -of .the'ca;-,;;5 t .w yainient enq bteinl-fil e i ed' a P lesseplhtfol m '61 flri-with the platform ex- 1' tending-the yidthfpf ithe caf'fatii'i s lls enable d" p ee ter h remtm -tqz av rlit eifim'ti l me pmte nt dr exi pa esI mi-l I Wi di platf ogm g eithercor bdth sis; of th'e"car, .--and it the. time ebpam flex tmneeiind Iii Figs,f 1, fiend 6 exitranIPesplit H v h .30, so, 'sepaiated with doo -s 56 and-57 inclo'siii'g the other-Side mfithe- Platform, sgthat pass Ii [inay enter and leave at but one sideog thcar; 2nd there, are shown also stepsf26 qnddqers ingress f e en Ibis u q rfho everto ,-hav.e,;;but ,o e'side of a e'sii: opei for am: 'egregsf of fids'sengeifsl," and with: y arrangement eitherisideo fg'the car ,ah wifi -may be open without havixi'gfluplip ag 2 an j itip s e 3 1w t platform-21, and segamtentmhoe dpors 35 L and exitgdoorg 36gbetjwee1i the pl'atfi m' 21 :11 and 2 sho'wf the 'right side 'of the platfonn 21 and the left side closed by the (lows-156,757, thedirction of operation-dime ca-i'being to the right hand in the-drawings as shown by the position of the trolley pole 87 in Fig. I By shifting the. position of the, dooi's 56 and 57 from the bodied in myinvention are especially adapted'to a tside qr centez entrance ca'r zind that 4 possible withofitfor in the absenee of rate; ent'mnCe 'andijexit .paeca esmm j the g eflnd th ap a fprm; bu d know JO- thefoompgi'ztmelit orm,

cate'devic'os 111d lliifing separate entrance- .9 1St1uCtQd1Viih endpIa-t orms haying 's'epa- 7 rate, entrance and=,e;it passages, on each amibetweeii thefplptfoim and the compare cmpfartmfg tits 28, and; th'e'otheij side left hand to the right hand side, 'by means hereinafter disclosed, and by shifting *the handrails 32, separating the entrance assagefrom' the exit passages, from the right hand side of the platform.21. to the left hand side in similar but reversed position,- and connecting the post 31 to the guards 69" on the left hand side, the a'rrangementaof the entrance and exit passages is reversed from that-shown'inthe drawings. Furthermore, in passengercars asheretofore constructed it has 'notbeen possible to construct the. side framing in the form: of a truss of which the dia onal members extended. above the level of tie window rails or sills without such diagonal members crossing the windows and annoyingly obstructing the view of the passengers. commonly known as side or center entrance cars by reason of the entrances being located between the trucks and at some distance from the ends of the car, but not necessarily at the exact center, have been constructed with two or more steps between the ground and the car platform, this construction necessitating the cutting away of the sills, if of wood, or of their being bent in a horizontal or vertical plane and reinforced if of metal, in either case requiring. additional material either in-the side sills or in intermediate or center sills to obtain the requisite stren h. Furthermore, these side entrance cars ave had platforms and outside steps so short longitudinally of the car that diagonal truss members, above the window rails or sills, would pass across so many windows as to anno ingly obstruct the view of a large number 0 assengers. My invent-ion, however, embodies an arrangement of parts by which a side or center entrance car may be constructed withthe side framing of wood or of metal in the form of a truss whose diagonal members ma pass above the line of window rails or sillli, out bein located across the windows in the side of t e car. as shown in Fig; 4, and not crossing more than two windows at each side of the entrance as shown in Fig. 1; this construction being made possible by reason of the low latform or floor 21 which may extend so 0 ose to the trucks 25 that few, if any, of the windows opening above .the main floor 28 will be crossed by diagonal truss members, and that the diagonal truss members will pass above the tops of the window openings located over the platform or floor 2 In the drawings Figs. land 4, by reason of the level oi the main floor 28, the sills 23' are bent or built up so that the portion 37 lies at or below the level of the platform 21, and below the portions 38 of the sills 23 which extend over' the trucks 25; the portions 39 of the sills 23 being formed of separate.

Passenger cars in some cases withlatform 21 belng located below the pieces or by bends in the sills 23. The portions 39 are extended at 40, and with the portions 37 and 40 form the lower chord of a truss suspended over the truck centers 41, through the posts 42, the car body bolsters 43, the other members of the truss being the-platform corner post 44, the window posts 45, the window rails 46, extensions 47 of the portions 38 of the sills 23, the girths 48, the lintel 49 of the side doors, such lintel being extended if necessary, of the diagonal struts or compression members 50, 50, and of such other members as may be necessary or desirable. The struts 50 are extended to 51 and joined to the portion 38 of sills 23 to support the overhang of the car beyond the body bolster 43, the posts 52 and the diagonal members 53 (see Fig. 1) being used to strengthen the overhang. 'In Fig. l the diagonal members 50 cross the window openings 54, but the view of passengers through these windows will not be annoyingly obstructed because, as will be seen, in Fig. 2, the seats 55 are arranged longitudinally so that the backs of passengers seated thereon will be toward the windows 54, 54. \Vhen, however, the floor or compartment 28 extends a shorter distance from the body bolster 43 toward the platform 21 than in the car shown in F i s. 1 and '2, the diagonal members 50, as s own in Fig. 4, will pass clear of the window openings 54, 54. Since the center platform 21, with one entrance passage 29 and two exit passages 30, 30 occupies less longitudinal space in the car than would two end platforms each having one entrance passage and one exit passage of the same length longitudinally of the car as on the center platform, and since in a center platform car the s ace corresponding to that occupied on one oi the end platforms of a car by the motorman may be utilized for seats, the seating capacity of a center platform car is reater than that of an end latform car 0 like over all dimensions. 11 addition, the center platform car with longitudinal seats arranged near the entrances and seats, as shown at 55, 55, (see Figs. 2 and 6) has the advantage, as comared with an end platform car, having ongitudinal seats arranged near the platforms, that the open standing spaces between the longitudinal seats 55, 55 are located in close roximity to both of the entrances and to 0th of the exits of the compartment and of the car, whereas on an end platform car only one of these spaces is in close proximity to the rear platform, which is commonly used as the only entering point to the car; with the result that these standing spaces may be more easilyoccupied by passengers than on end platform cars in which entering assengers traverse nearly the entire lengt of the compartment to they are loath to do when the car is crowded because of the difliculty of reaching the forward standing space.

In passenger cars as heretofore constructed of that type having doors or gates inclosingthe sides of the car plat-form, aset of doorsv or gates is provided at each. edge of lithe platforn yvhich are hinged to the posts f andfto one another for folding into a space ofsniall compass, orwhich are slid, longitudinally inside or outside of the side" of the, compartment of the car, for the purpose of opening the sides of the platform for the ingress or egress of passengers. 1 Such hinged or folding doors interfere more or less with passengers, and suchsliding doors necessitate such construction in the side space inside or outside of it that the clear inside width'of the car is reduced so that the seats located therein are crowded nearer together than would; be the case were SUClif sliding doors not in use.

"gates, sliding'or folding together if necessary to clear: obstacles. that may obstruct .th eir .passagcacrcss the platform, and of means for transferring. thein-across the: platform consist ng of overhead rails ex-- ,Mfteiiding froni side 't o side jot the car over the platform, on whichyslides or wheels carry the doors or gates. By thisarrangeinent the doors or gatesare entirely removed 'fromthat side of the platform in use by passengers, and hence do not interfere with hem, and they need notbe sub-divided into alarge number ofsectionsto fold into a small compass. For a car on which either .oneorthe other ofits sides is to be always open and the other side closed only one set 1 fjof; doors or. gates, is required.

travel across-the platform on the overhead near the. sides jof the car at 85,85, by means {In Figs. 1,2,3 and ti, the folding doors 56, 57, of such width when'folded together that theywill pass the guardfiflwhile being ,swung across the platfQrmQI, are suspended from. ts rollers... 83 (see Fig. 1'3) [\VhiCh rails84, the rails. Siliaving inclined surfaces ofwhich the rollers 83 will quickly rise and lift the loweredgesof the doors56, 57 clear of the floor of the platforni 21, in starting plat-fornrQl. fment'for. transferring the doors 56, 57 from the shift of; position of the doors, and will, at the opposite side, lower the :doors to the It is obvious that this arrange- "side to side of the platform is applicable to amend platfornrcaras well as to a side or 'center entrance car.

.Heretofore the door openings orpassages have commonly been constructed between the platform and, the compartment of a passenger car substantially crosswise or at or side entrance cairs -in ii h or tothe"bodyend sill*62.(Figs. -7 and 8) right angles to the length of the car. I

am aware that single door openings have been constructed diagonally or at an oblique angle with the length of .the car in the in terior structure of it for the purpose of changing the direction of, or the location of, a passage from'the side toward-the center of the car'longitudinally, or for the-purpose of communicating with some interior sub-division of the-compartment. but I do not know of passenger cars being constructed with two door openings orpassages between the' platform and. the compartinentqset diagonally ora at an oblique angle with the length of the car, and converging toward the platform. v

Embodied in my invention are novel arrangements of the separate entrance and exit door or gate openings and novel,,.doors form cars as well as to side-or center en- 5 trance cars, the main- :feature of'fwhi ch is 'A'novel arrangement of the side inclosing doors or gates for a car platform is embod-. flied in my invention consisting of doors or cepting Figs. 4, 5-, and -12, the pair -of doors 35, 36, located between theplatform' 21 and the compartment or main fioor128, have their openings which the doors '35 and 36, nor

mallyclose, extending between thepost 60 (see Fig. 7) and the posts 59', orbetwee'n the,

posts-60 (see Figsy8. and 9) ,andthe fixed center post 58, 01' betweenthe post 60 and the center door posts 66 (shown in Figs-2J3,

. 6', 10 and 11) said posts. GG-being revoluble. The planes-ofthese. door openingsor the planes of thedoors whennormallyjclesed lie diagonally to a vertical center plane passing longitudinally' through the car; and these planes converge toward the platform 21; the purpose being that, with a givenwidth ofppeningbetween the posts '60 and the posts 58, 59 or 66, the .posts'fiO will be farther from the outside platform corner post- 44 than if the posts 58,59 .01 66- and the o stj60 were set in line with the-post 44,

and the openingsthus substantially-crosswise-forat right angles to the longitudinal center line of'tl1e car. Theresu'lts 'arc that the passenger entering or leaving the coin partment 28. is directed !i](fi-#l}tilflyk toward \the longitudinal center plane of tlie rar and farther away from. passengers seated in the seats: thanlif the door openings'ifif equal widtlrwere located crosswise: 'thatmore space is inclosed in the.ficompartmeut 28 witheutlossof useful. space- 011 the plat- Jfor'm thanif the openings were located crosswiseyand that, in either ei ilplatforin I V ich the. trucks 25 (Fig. l) are locatedQlose to:thegplatform 21 center or intermediate platform sills substantially integral with or cont-inuations of. thebody center orintermediate'sills 63 7 and 8) may be used to support the platform by bending them downward between the body end sill'62 and the door posts 58 59 or 66, which platform sills could not be the car passed around curves.

used integral with orcontihuations of the 'fbo'cly center or intermediate sill 63 in cars in 10 which the door openings were-crosswise and 1ocated over the body end sill 62 because the bend -in the platform center. sills would interfere with the trucks or wheels when 4In Figf7 the doors 35 and 36 are shown as sliding telescopic doors operating in the usual manner to close against the post 59,

' so spread from the longitudinal center line of the car as to form with the center post 58 a space h on the platform, in which space the conductor may be located;

In Fig. 8 another arrangement is shown].

in which the sliding doors 35 and 36, operating in the usual manner. close upon the oenterjdocr post 58, thus bringing the doors 35 and 36 and their openings more nearly towardthe center of the car, and giving greater clearance to passengers seated on the seats 55, 55 from passengers entering and leaving the can-than as shown in Fig. 7. InvFigz-i) an arrangement 1s, s hown snnilar. tothat m Fig. 8. except that door 36 at the right hand of Fig. 9 is a swinging door shown as swinging outward, though if desired it may swing in either direction: and in this connection it should also be stated that all of the doors and 36 may be similar swinging doors.

. A novel arrangement of the pair of doors 35 and 36, embodying a part of my mven tron, is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2-, 3, 6, 10 and 11, in which a sliding door 35, hung from oted at its top at .73 and at its bottom at 7-1: an suitable bearings, such as shown in Fig. 3, so as to be tree to turn, carrying with it t l1e doors and 36; the purpose being the the usual rollers (:4 Fig. 3), traveling-on the usual rails (Fig.3) is carried by the vertical post-66 to which the rail 65 and its braces 67 (Fig. 3) are fixedl' The vertical post 66, shown in the "drawings as a channel section, carries also the swinging door 36, whose hinges 6S, titted-with springs for rc-. taining the door 36 normally in one position, are fixed to the post 66. The post- 66 is pivuse of the'sliding door 35 for entering the compartment 28, trom the platform 21, and of the swinging'door 36 for passing from the compartnlcnt 23 to .the platform 21, the

positions of the doors and 36 relative to the platform 21 and tothe compartment 28 being reversible by revolving the post 66 about its pivot 73, 74 so that whichever side of the car is open for the ingress and egress of passengers, the doors 35 and 36 may be provided with guards 69,

accomplished ';by swinging the doors 35 and dieated by the arrows in, Fig. 11, until the hinged door 36 occupiesthe position indicated by the dotted lmes inthe left of Fig.

- 6 and the door'35 occupies the position indicated by dotted li'nesfat the left and below the center line of Fig; 6.1 The sliding door 35, normally closed against one or the other outer door posts 60, on being-opened slides inwardly and diagonally toward the c enter the platform 21; and isof the car and over I (F1gsq3' and 6) consistlng ofwire screens or lazedpartlplaced in proper relation thereto; which-isv in the direction indicated by thearrows in the left hand portion of Fig. 6, and as inti'o'ns, or other suitable-materia s, to'prevent' persons on the platlfor'nill being struck by swings closely to nd may pass both the outer, door posts .6 and is normally held close to oneor the bther. of tlie'posts' 6.0 by

the tensionof its s ring hinges .68 against the'stop'70 .(Figs and 6 or against the bntton'7l-(Figs. 10l'and 11 so that it may be normally opene outwardly only toward the platform 21. jh'e post 66 is hell by a hook 101 (see Fig. 3) or byany other suit ableIloclting device in either of the two positions at which the doors 35 and 36 will ,nor-

mally close theopenings betweengthe posts. 60 and the post 66, in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1; 2, 3 and 6. The position of the doors 35 and 36 are reversed by first releasing the hook 10l,'the'n partially opening door 35 clear of post 60 and pulling the door-35 outwardly toward the platform 21; The post 66 is thereby revolved until the door 35. is in thefline in which it will slide into its. closed position on that-side of the post 66 opposite to that from which it was swung. Atthe beginning of this operation the door 36 will be against the stop 70 as shown in Figs. 2 and 6', and the stop 70 is permanently fixed to the post 60 so that the door36 may be normalh closed against. the

stop 70 to form a weatherproof joint. In

order to shift -the position of the; door36 from one door opening to the other by the method of operation previously described, the door 36 must pass inwardl-y and swing through the compartment- 28 ,In order that the door 36 may pass the stop" 70 the pivot line of its hinges at 72 in Fig. 6-is set eccentric to the axis of the pivots 73- and 74 of the posts 66, so that as the posts 66 revolves about its pivots 73,7145, the pivot line 72 of the hinges 6830f the door 36 will be so moved that the door 36 will be withdrawn from the stop 70, and will thelnby the tension of its spring hinges 6S. swing around into compartment 28 toward its new posi-v lioin As sool'ras the door 36 is clearoflhc stop 70 the movement. of the door 35 and the sliding door 35 [while it is being moved to an open positionl' Theswmglng door 36 30 of the door 36 and mounted on the posts 60,

of the post 66 is discontinued and the door 36 is then manually drawn against the tension of its spring hinges through the opening to which it is being shifted and behind the stop.70 on the post 60 against which it will close when in its new position, and the movement of the door 35 and of the post 66 is then continueduntil the door 35 is in proper position to be slid into its new position covering the opening previously occupied by the door 36. The hook 101 is'engaged to lock the post 66 in its'reversed position thus completing the operation of reversing the doors 35 and 36.

For the purpose of reducing the number of operations required to shift the positions of the doors 35 and 36, as previously de doors 35 and 36, and this arrangement is the one I prefer. The sliding door 35 and the swinging door 36 are mounted, as previously described, on the pivoted post 66, except "that the door 36 has its pivot line 7 2 through the hinges 68 coincident with'the axisof the pivots 73and '74 of the posts .66, as shown in F igs. 10 and 11. The buttons 71, .capable of being turned out of the path of movement are substituted for the permanent stops 7O in Fig. 6, and there is but one guard 69 for a the sliding door 35, this'guard 69 beingpivoted at 75 and carrying fixed to it a gear I6 whose center coincides with the axis of the pivot 75. The'gear 76-n1eshes with a gear 77 fixedito the pivoted post 66 with its axis coincident. with the axis of the pivots 73 and 74 of the posts .66. I do not limitmyself to the use ,of the gears 76 and 77 herein f described for giving a simultaneous motion in opposite directions of the guard 69 and the posts 66, as there are other means of ac-' ,complishing the same results, for example by levers, or by crossed chain belting. The guard 69 has attached to it hand rails '78 (Figs. 10 and 1 and has hinged to it at 79 (Fig. 11) the hand rail 32 whose function is to separate the entrance passages and theexit passages on the platform 21 as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, and which is attached to the vertical post 31, 31 (Fig. 3) by any suitable latch here shown as, a tongue 102 formed at the end of hand rail 32 held in the jaw 103" fixed to the post 31 by the pin 104: passing through the tongue 102 and the jaw 103. The guard 69 is provided also with'a bolt 80 sliding up and down on the outer edge of the guard 69 and fitting into the sockets 81 and 82 lot into the floor of the platform 21, its purpose being to securely hold the guard 69 and therefore the doors and 36 in one or the other of their normal positions during the operation of the car. There are other locking devices in ordinary usewhich will perform the functions of the bolts 80- and the sockets 81 and 82. In the'arrangement of parts as described and as shown in Fig. 10, the doors are in their normal position for operation, the sliding door 35 on the left, and the swinging door 36 on the right, the door 36 being prevented from opening inwardly by the button 71. The entrance 29 and the exit 30 of the platform 21 are at the right of Fig. 10. To reverse this arrangement so that the entrance passage 29 and the exit passage 30 on the platform 21 may be to the left, and so that the door 35 may be on the right, and the door 36 on the left, the buttons 71 are turned to permit the door 36 to pass them, the sliding door 35 is partly open to clear the post 60,

the hand rail 32 is unfastened from the post 31 by removing the pin 164 from the jaw 103 (F ig'. 3), and the bolt 80 is drawn up from the socket 81. The hand rail 32 is swung to the left on the hinge 79, the guard 69. is then swung to the left about the pivot 7 5, the gears 7 6 and 77 thereby revolving the post 66 with the attached doors and 36 in a direction that the door 35 moves out-- wardly toward the platform 21, and when one half of the movement is completed the position will be as shown in Fig. 11 and the direction of mot-ion as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 11. Continuing the movement of guard 69 until the bolt 80 registers with socket 82, looking it therein, closing door 35 to the right, turning the button 71 at'the left behind the door 36 now on the left of post 66,- and fastening the hand rail 32 to 'thevertical post 31 at the left side of the platform 2.1.completes the reversal of the doors and 36 and of the entrance and exit passages 29, 30 on the platform 21 from the right to the left side.

Heretofore on that type of electric cars known as trolley cars by reason of the electric current being taken from an overhead conductor by means of a contact or trolley wheel; attached to the end of a trolley pole, the trolley pole .has been mounted on the roof of the car with its vertical pivot, around which the pole swings in order that the contact or wheel may follow the conduetor on curves, located to the rear, with reference to the direction of travel of the car, of a vertical line passing through the center of the forwardaxle of a single truck car or passing through the center pin of the forwardtruck of a double truck ear; The verticalpivot has been commonly so located that the pole may be manipulated from the rearend of. the car by means of a rope attached to it at its upper end near the contactor wheel, and in practice, because of the relative lengths of the trolley poles and of the overhang of the ear in the rear of the trucks, the vertical pivot has beenlocated truck car, or with front and rear truck of he overhead conductor is indicated by the forwardof a vertical line throughthe center of the rear axle of a single truck carv orthrough the center pinv of the'rear truck of a double' truck car; with the result that the trolley pole is never tangent to the overhead conductor when .the car is on a curve, and there is, therefore, atendency for the contact or wheel to leave the. wire or conductor on curves, and for the wheel and conductor to wear more rapidly than-if the pole were tangent-to the curves in theconductor.

a the arrow indicating the direction of the car,

'tersections of vertical transverse planes;

' I Referring to Fig.

vertical plane through the car with its roof, of travel the lines106 and 107 are the inthrough the car respectively with the centers of the front and rear axles of a single the center pins of the a double truck ear.

curved line 108, though in the conductor will, if a wire,

the curve herein indicating actual practice the trolley Wire located at 108, whose radius is 109. For the the line 107 on the -pivot of the trolley "point between points stance at point,

oses of this description it is assumed that the curve 108 lies verticallyover a similar curve representing the center line of the track on which the car operates, which assumption is closely but not absolutelycorrect in actual practice. It is therefore also assumed that'the points 110 and 111 at the intersections respectively of the line 106 and line 105 located above the centers of the axles of a single truck car or above the center pins of a double truck car will follow very closely the curve 108 as the g If the. vertical V car passes around the curve.

pole is located at any 110 and 111, as forin- 112, the trolley pole 87, shown in horizontal projection as't-he line 113 contacts with the curved line 108 at the pointl114, and 18 not tangent thereto. The

vertical pivot of the trolley pole 87 may be which points a givenilen'gth and with a given (listancevbe located; attwo points on the line 105, at 115 and 116 the trolley pole of tween the roof of the car and the overhead.

. conductor will' be tangent to the curve 108 at v the point of contact with it, and these two i cated at the point 1 16 on car so as tobe tangent pointsarethefonly points at which this will occur. As, shown in the drawing in Fig. 12, if the vertical pivot for the trolley pole is 10- I: swing from'the vertical center'plane 'ot the car indicated by line 105 is much greater than if the vertical pivot were located-at the forward end of the car at point 115, the pole being shown in horizontal projection at 117. The dotted curved line 118 represents the center line of a curve in the track and in I passing throu ward axle of t p 12 in which theline 105 is the intersection of the longitudinal center center line of the car, through the center line of the trolley pole ductor to form chords to i tangent to all curves in 'tor and the side swing o .hicles "have been constructed,

over the truck wheels,

the rear end of the to the curve 108, its

the overhead-,conductor similar to that shown by line 108, but-"of ditferent'r'adius, and the line'119 is ahorizontalprojection of the trolley pole 87. pivoted at the point 115 flandcontacting with the. curve 118 and tangent thereto. v j

The arrangement embodied in my invention consists in locating 86 (in'Figs'. 1 aud t) for the trolley pole 87 forward of the 2vertical" transverse plane 'h the center line of 'the .for' e single truck ear orthrough the center pin of the forward'truck of the:

the vertical pivot double truck car in such position that the center line of the vertical pivot8'6' will coin- Iso .cide with the line formed by the intersec-.

tion of two planesperp'endicular to thecar v floor, the one parallel to and tangent at the point ofeontact ot the trolley shoe or wheel with'the overhead con.-

the curve in, the overhead con- I the longitudinal the other passing ductor, or to that curve of which the over-I head conductor forms chords, the vertical lines through the vertical pivot for the trolley pole being located at point 115, (Fig.1

2)- previously described. WVith' ans arrange ment the trolley pole 87 will be veryclosely the overhead conducf the pole will be a minimum and-s0 small in practice that-the rope 98 (see Fig. 1') may pasathrough a slot or other opening 99 in the roof of the car and be manipulated at the inside of the, car or on the center platform 21 by the conductor standing, thereon, who will have the pole 87 in viewth'r'ough glass plates set in'th'e trap doors 100, forming a portion of the roof 0t the'car.

-Heretofore passenger cars and other ve-- commonly known as double decked by reason of haying a seating compartment on thereof-of the usual compartment reached by a ladder or bystai r's leading from one, or both "end platforms of the. vehicle. Such stairs, being constructed to occupy amount of space on narrow and of such steepincline that they were difficult to mount. Heretofore these constructed with the upper a continuous lower or main floor extendirg the center of gravity of the car and its loadwas at a considerable height, the distance from the ground to the upper floor or de :k{ was considerable, and the height-of the cfrr such that thereof of the upper deck or the heads of standing passengers, it there'we re no roof, would not in a large number of instances clearobstructions such as tunnels, overhead bridges and. car house doors. Therefore the use of such cars has been lin:.-

the least possiblev the platform, were so so' that when loaded 1 20 2o vground comes to sixteen feet five inches, so

' "ited to situations as have either no -overhead obstructions or such obstructions of 'suflicient height to permit the car to make a] .clear passage. -A large number of railways havea clear height between the track and overhead dbst'ructions suflicient for the safe passage of locomotives and cars having'a The use for steamrailway cars and for the motor driven axles of electric cars is thirty inches, and therefore the lower floor of a double jdeckcar," if constructed ,as heretofore with a such floor; continuous over the truck wheels,

will not be less than threefeet above the track. level; Allowing a clear height for passengers of six feet six inches on each of the two floors of such a car and five inches for the thickness'of roof and of the upper floor, the total height of the car from the that it is impossible, using proper wheels and properclearances for passengers, to construct a double decked car by the methods heretofore used that will pass under obstructions already existing on a larger number of railways v In connection with my invention hereinbefore described of avsteple'ss car with a i platform or floor constructed below the level of the main floor, the latter passing over ;the t1'uck.s,'itbecomes possible to construct,

'- an upperv deck or fioorabove the dropped floor or platform, forming what I have 85 herein termed a tri le deck car, which consists,-as shown in igs. 4 and 5, of a platform deck 21. without external steps, lo-

cated at? alower level than the main'deck 'hwor floor 28, which latter is constructed at a level above thetrucks and'wheels 25, and

. of' a third or upper deck 90, located above and extending approximately the full length of the lower deck .21. Seats 91 are arranged on the lower deck 21. Stairs 26 of easy rise and wide tread lead from the lower deck21 to the 'main deck- 28, and.

stairs 92 of comfortable width,-of easy rise and of broad tread, and in broken flight lead from the main' deck 28 tothe upper' deck 90, on which are arranged the seats 93 under cover of the permanent roof 94 and inclosed by the cab 95. With a height of;

one foot five inches from the track level to the top of floor 21, six feet six inches clear head room between the lower deck 21 and the upper deck 9.0, six feet eight inches clear head roof between the upper deck 90 and the underside of roof 94, three inches depth of floor 90 and two inches depth of roof 94, the total height of the car from the track level to the top of the roof is fifteen feet. It thus becomes possible by rea'son of the-low height of platform 21 from the track level 22 to construct a car with an upperdeck 90 that will pass through a large number of tunnels, under a large numberof bridges and through a large number of car house-doors that are already constructed and that may hereafter be con-' structed-with clearances that are standard,

-with a large number of railways; that will have a'comparatively low center of;= avity number of passengers on its lower deck who will take but one step to mount or dismount from the car; that will have its main floor 28 reached by steps 26 of easy rise and wide tread; that will have its up r floor 90 10- when loaded; that will seat a consi erable cated nearer the ground leve 22 and nearer the level of. the main floor" 28 than in cars as heretofore constructed so that the upper floor may be-more easily reached by'.the passengers; and that will have steps 92 of comfortable breadth, easy rise and wide tread leading to its upper floor 90. o

By reference to Figs. 4 and 5 it is evident that if the trucks 25, 25 are farther separated from one another toward the ends of the car, the length of the lower deck 21, and

hence also the length of the upper deck 90 ably constructed station platforms passengers may enter and leave the cars at two levels or may enter at one level and leave at anothenwhich features are especiallyapplicable to sub-way or underground zcars since passengers occupying the upper compartment or deck 90 would traverseaminimum distance between the surface of the ground above and the deck 90 of the car, though passengers occupying the lower deck 21 would traverse a slightly greater distance than is now customary with the floor of a single deck sub-way car at the level of the main fioor 28. In any case with the large number of doors possible by this COIlSt-Ilkh tion and by having them distributed at tw different levels, the loading and unloading, I

at miaeawiuiamp bends aapoint-in", termed'iate the ends of said sills',.,a platiorm' "an'd'nieans for supporting saidplatform adjiwrent said dropfbends theentire -idth or the car. in a'plane-subst-antially below'the car floor and steps leadingi ifrom said platform to said fioorwhereby passengers inay with a single" upward step" upon 'the,.p latform,

passentirely across "the carbefore taking thei'r seats and en reaching the platform; from {their seats. pass to the ground by a" single-short step, substantially asdesq'i'ibed. v A railway passenger car comprising in' combination a car floor, side {sills extending from end-to end-of the ear. each of which is;- provided at 'substanti'allyits cehter'of length with a depressionprojecting below the plane, of the car floor. terminating at each side tl 1er'eo f, and a platform extending from side Slll to side sill adjacent said bend'sandin plane belowt-he' car floor, substanti ally'asdescr'ibedk I w 4; L railway passenger car comprising in combination side sills extending the length: ot the cariprovided with 'central'bends-pro j jecting below the floor ofthe car,"a platform supported by said bent portion below the plane of-saidfloor, diagonal strut members v secured'to the'side; sills near their free ends 3.

and; inclining thence upwardly to near the top of the car body "and side openings the cariat a pointbetween thela'pex offth strut members and theibends of the side/sills for the exittand entrance of passengers, sub-u v I "-stantially as described.

' 5.1A railway passenger car comprising in ,combination side sills therefor provided at about their center eflength with depressed portions,a platform extending froni side to side of the car, and means for, supporting the sameadjacent said bent portions iri'a:

I plane below the car floor, diagonal struts,

top of the sides of the-ear'andsubstantially 1 f at the center of length of said'sides,- diagonal I the respective ap'ices of which 'are'located' above the center of length of said bent portions and-well toward-the top of the sides of the car, and chord members connecting the said struts,- substantially as'described. i f v bent portions of the'sillswith. 6. A railway passenger c'arcomprisin in combination side sills extending substantially the length of thecar body; provided with depressed angular bent port ons, di-

agonal struts, the ,outer ends of which are secured toward the endsfof-said sills with.

their apices terminating well towardthe can. am; am ind be obt'a iaed -sta'n'tia'-lly;as assented;

sid illj in}; plane therewithfan entrance therebtivliereby iviejv of the occupants of the car is notannoyingly obstructed and stant-ially as desciibdif i z 4 i or bent portion at ajpoint terrnediate the length thereof, a platform extending between said bent port-ions 'of theside/sills and en' both" sides ofsaictplatform a number of bottoin portions of which are in the same plane,

upper-ends to the struts in'a plane below the bases of'said windows with their lower ends "secured to. the side sills at a point bisecting the line of the bends projecting-downwardly th'erefrnn,v substantially as desci' cl.

my hand and aflixed my sea-l, this [8th day oi May A. D1909; K HERBERT \Vit'nesses: I BRoM,

chord members, 'coniec'ting, the .bends of- "the side sills-with thgisti-iitmeinber, and an opening 'in' the side "of the ear between the j-apicesof'thestrutmembers and the bottom truss'ed side frai'nes are pro v ided 'pfim'a xiinuni'depth whereby the weight of the ear. substantially reduced. without ilnpairing' its strength, din-ability I or {appearances with 1 V minimuni'iahnoyane"to itsoccupants, sub

adiagonal strut the'vends ofwhich are secured'tosaid side sills'toward the ends thereof, the apies of which strutsterminate inimediatelypabove said entrances :and' dii p v ago'nal truss chord 'mei nberssecur'ed at their 7 McNIlILT-At s p ortionlof thexbend in thel side; sills, "s bj- 8'. railway passenger car cemprisin glin combination Side'S1ll$p1fOV1(1ed;W1tl1 a-qrop-i tirely in a plane belowthetloor-of'the ear, v and direct entrances in the side of.-the car to] windows'on each side'joi said'iientraneegthe In Witness-whereof,'Ihave hereunto set forfivefcentiseach, bywaddressing the fidlnmissioner of Patents. ,-w hi I, ia

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