US1228797A - Passenger-car for railways. - Google Patents

Description

' Patented June 5, 191:7.

@S M A WN 5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

n QM? mm E, D. X

H. MCNULTA.

PASSENGER CAR FOR RAILWAYS.

\ APPLICATION man Aus. x2. 1912,

H MVCNULTA. PASSENGER CAR FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I2. 1912.

Pawntedaune 5,' 1917.

l s sains-SHEET 2.

H. MCNULTA.

PASSENGER. CAR Foa RAlLwM/s.

, APPLICATION FILE!) AUG. l2. QZ. r 1,228,797'. lPatent-ed June o, 1917. v

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H. McNuLw..

PASSENGER CAR FOR RAILWAYS APPLICATION HLED AUG. i2 |912.

1,228,797. y Patented June 5, 1917.

s sHEETsf-SHEET 4.

H. MNuuA. PASSENGER CAR FOR RAI-LWAYS..

Patented June 5 s SHEETS-SHEET s.

HERBERT McNLJQA, OF CHIGAGG, ILLINOIS.

lEASSENGER-CAR FOR AILXVAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5,1917.

Original application filed June 28, 1909, Serial No. 504,651.` Divided and this application filed August 12, 1912. Serial No. 715,138.

To ZZ ci/1,0m t may concern.'

Bc it known that I, HERBERT MCNULTA, a citizen ot the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements iii Passenger-Cars for Railways, of which the 'followingvis a full, clear, and exact specication.

This invention relates to improvements in passenger cars for railways, more particularly to that type commonly known as trolley orstreet cars, and especially to stepless side entrance cars, that is to say in which there isbut one. low step from the ground or street to the platforn'i of a side or center enti-ance car described in application Serial No. 504,651, 'tiled .lune QS. 1909, and now Letters Patent No. 1,035,216, granted me August 13, 191:2. of which this isa divisional application.

One of the objects of my present inventionisto provide means by which all passengers entering` and passing from a stepless car are at all timesdii'ectly in front of and in close proximity to the conductor when standing in a position convenient for receiving fares and tor carrying outliis 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 inten ference by such passengers.

Another and important object of my invention is a stepless car, the entrances and exits of Which'are so arranged as to piovide for a' substantial increase in the number of seats in a car oi given length, as compared with end platform cars.

y Another important object ot my invention provide a novel arrangement of gates or.

doors attheen'trancc and exit'ot the car platform, so that the sideot the platform may be closed or opened, and so that-fon a centerplatform car either side ot the car may be open and the other side closed byv one set of doors or gates shifted by the conductorwithoutleavingI the platform.

within convenient reach of the conductor from the position he will usually occupy when the car is in operation, and which can Ybe easily manipulated by passengers entering or leavingv 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 ot the car body, and clear of the. truck wheels and motors when such truck wheels ormotors are located so closely tothe platform'that they will barely clear the outside platform sills or knees. ,l With these ends in view, my invention finds embodiment in certain feature-s of novelty in the construction, combination and.

' arrangement-of parts by which-'the said objects and certain other 4objects hereinafterappearing are obtained: as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out iii the claims. Y

In said drawings Figure l illustrates in side elevation a trolley car embodying a partof my invention. i

Fig. 2 is a plan View in horizontal section` on lines @-5 of Fig. 1. l

Fig. 3 isa vertical cross section of the same car on line c-ai of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan of the platform; of the car shown in Fig. 1, showing the central portion of Fig'. 2 on an enlarged'scale and in morev details.

5, 6 and 7 are plan views in horizon-f Figs. tal section through the doors of several arrangements of non-reversible doors between the platform and ther compartment of a car. Fig. 8 is a plan View in horizontal section of an arrangement ofreversible compart` ment doors, being; modification of the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4.-

Fig. 9 is a 'plan View in' horizontal section of the compartment doors shown in Fig. 8, and illustrates the position of parts during the operation of reversing the doors.

In passenger cars as constructed prior to my invention as described in my Patent No. 1,035,216, before referred to, the floor of 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 practice these steps are of greater individual vrise than is common in ordinary stairways, so that the exertion required of the passenger is greater than if the same height were reached by steps of less individual rise. Also the larger thc 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 inaking a safe and secure entrance to or exit from the car.

To reduce the exertion and time required by thepassenger to enter or to leave the 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 portion of its floor or its platform lowered to or constructed at a level that it may be mounted directly from the ground by the passenger taking one step, such ioor or platform extending across the car preferably 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 steps of convenient, and preferably of easy rise and tread, said steps being at a substantial distance from the point of en-vv trance to the platform.

In the accompanying drawings in which like figures indicate like parts a portion of the floor or the platform 2l is located ata height from the ground 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 2l, its length longitudinally of the car being such as' may be desired within the limits imposed by clearancefor the trucks l Steps4 or stairs 26, 2T lead from the platform 21 to the main floor28 of the seating compartment, which floor although shown horizontal may lbe inclined when for any purpose or st vle of trucks this may be desirable. In Figs. l, 2 and 3 a car is illustrated having an entrance pa'ssage 29 con-- tinuous with the platform 21 but separated from the exit passages 30, 30 by the vertical posts 31. 3l and the lhand rails 32, 32 attached to posts 31. 3l. The passenger boards the cai' at passage '29, passes across the platform 21 in view of the conductor facing him at 33, behind the railing 34, mounts the steps 26 and enters the compartment 28 through the door 35. The passenger when leaving .rise being used on carsfor reducing the 'number of steps required to reach the floor of the car from the ground so as to occupy the least amount of horizontal 'space and give width to the platform.

vWith the construction embodied in my invention of interior steps from the platform 21 to the main Hoor of compartment 28, the number of steps may be increased, and therefore their individual rise reduced, to reach the compartment Hoor 28 from the ground 22 over that in the usual constructiornand the width of the platformretained to extend from sill to sill, because the platform 21 is below the interior steps 26 and 27.

It is obvious that In vconstruction shown in the drawings as app ied to a side or center entrance car may be used on end platform cars, the platform 2l extending from outside platform' sill to outside platform sill across the car and steps 26 and 27 arranged for entering and leaving the compartment 28, but I have preferred tovshow my invention applied to side or center entrance carssince this and other features embodied in my inventionV are especially adapted toa side or center entrance car, and that furthermore some of these features are impossible without or in the absence of side or center entrances. y

I ain aware that passenger cars have been constructed with end platforms y having separate entrance and exit passages on' each platforin from the ground tothe v,platform and 'between the' platform and the compartment of the car, and that sideor centerentrance cars have been constructed with separate. entrance and exit passages from the ground to the platform, but I do not knowv tending the full width of the. car at its sills enables a. side or center entrance car to have for the lirst time separate entrance and exit passages from the ground to the platform on either or botlrsides of the car, and` at the same time ,separatel entrance and exit passages tothe compartments from a platform extending the full width of the car.

ln Figs. 1, Q and 4 entrance passage Q9 and exit passages 30, 30. separated b v the vertical post 31, and the hand rails B2, are shown at one side of the platform Q1 with doors 56 and 57 inclosing the other side of the platform, so that passengers mayY enter and le.,ve at but one side of the car; and there are shown also steps 26 and doors 35 separatefrom steps Q7 and doors 3G connecting the platform 21 to the compartments 2S.

be open for the ingress and egress of passengers. It is customary. however. to have but one side of a car open for the ingress and egressof passengers, and with in v arrangementeither side of the car at will may be open without ,having duplicatedevices and -having separate entrance passages 29 and left hand to the right hand side. h v means hereinafter disclosed. and b v shiftingthe hand rails 32, separating the entrance passage from the exit passages. from the right hand side of the platform 21 to the left hand side in similar but reversed position. and connectl ig the post 31' to the guards G9 on the left iand side, the arrangement of the entrance and exit passages is reversed from that show l. in the drawings,

Furthermore, in passenger cars as heretofore constructed it has not been possible to construct the side framing in the form of a truss of which the diagonal members eX,- tended above the level of the window rails or sills without such diagonal members crossing the windows and anuovinglv obstructing the View of the passengers.

'Passenger cars, commonly known as side or center entrance :ars b'v 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 By removing the platform inclosing doors 56 and 57, both-sides of the car will the sills. if of wood.r or of their being bent in a horizontal or vertical plane reinforced if of metal, in either case requiring additional material either inthe sidesills or in intermediate or center sills to obtain the requiof a. trusswhose diagonal members may pass above the line of window rails or sills, in some cases without being located across the windows in .the side of the Car, and not crossing` more than two windows at each side of the entrance as shown in Fig. 1; this con,

struction being made possible by reason of the. low platform or Hoor 21 which ma)r eX- tend so close to the trucks 25 thatfew, if any, of the windows opening above the main floor 28 will be crossed by diagonal truss members, and that the diagonal truss me1nbers will pass above the tops of any window openings located over the 'platform or floor 21.

In Fig. 1 it will be seen that by reason of' the platform 21 being located below the level of the main floorQS, the sills'l'are bent or built up so that the portion 37 lies at or belowl the level of the platform Q1, and below the portion 3S of the sills 23 which extend over the trucks Q5: the portions 39 of the sills Q3 being formed of separate piecesv or by bends in the sills 23. The portions 39 are Iextended 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 bodyY holsters 43, the'otlier mem bers of the truss being the platform corner post 44, the window posts 45, the window rails 4G, extensions 47 of the portions B8 of the sills the girths 48, the lintel 49 of the side doors, such lintel being extended' if necessary` of the diagonal struts or compres- Ision members 50, 50, and ofea'ch other members as ma)-Y be-necessari;Y or desirable.,r

The struts or compression members 50'are extended to 5l and joined to t-he portion 38 or' sills 23 to support the t verhang of the car' bevond the bodyY bolster 43. the posts 52 and the diagonal members 53 (sceFig. 1) being used to strengthen the overhang. In Fig. 1

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 -longitudi-- nally so that the backs of passengers seated thereon will be toward the windows 54, 54. When, however, the floor or compartment 28 extends a shorter distance from the body bolster 43 toward the platform 21 than in trance 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 o n the center platform, and since in a center platform car the space corresponding to thatoccupied on one of the end platforms of a car by the motorman may be utilized for seats, the seating capacity of a center platform car is greater than that of an end platform cariof like lover all dimensions.

In addition, the center platform car with longitudinalv seats arranged near the entrances and seats, as shown at 5,5, 5 5 (see Figs. 2 and-4) 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, are 1ocated in close proximity to both of the entrances and togboth of the exits of the comi partment and ofl the car, whereas on an end platforml 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 easily occupied by passengers than on end platform cars 1n` which' entering passengers traverse nearly the entire length o f the compartment to reach the forward standing space, which they are loath to do when the car is crowded 'because of the difliculty of reaching the forward standing space.

In passenger carsgas heretofore constructed, of that type having doors or gates inclosing the sides of the car platform, a set of doors or gates is provided at each edge of the platform, which are hinged to the posts and to one another for folding into a space of small compass, or which are slid vlongitudinally inside or outside of the side of the compartment ofthe car, for the urpose of opening the sides of the platfiirm for the ingress or egress of passengers. Such hinged or folding doors interfere more or less with passengers, andsuch sliding doors necessitate such construct-ion in the side framing of the car. and occupy -so .much 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 such sliding doors not in use.

A novel arrangement of thel side inclosing doors or gates for a car platform is em- 7 bodied in my invention, consisting of doors or gates, sliding or folding together if necessary to clear obstacles that may obstruct their passage across the platform, and of means for transferring them across the platform consisting of overhead rails extending from side to side of the car over the plat; form, on which slides or wheels carry the doors or gates. By this arrangement the'V doors or gates are entirely removed from that side of the platform in use by passengers, and hence do, not interfere with them, and they need not be sub-divided inw a large number of sections to fold i-nto a small compass. For a car on which either one or the other of its sides is to be always open and the other side closed only one set of doors or gates is required.4

In Figs. l, 2,'3 and 4 the folding doors 56 and 57 lof such width when folded together 90 i that they will pass 4theguard 69 while being shift of position of the doors, and will, at 10C the opposite side, lower the doors to the platform 21.

It is obvious that this arrangement for. transferring the doors 56, 57 from side to side of the platform is applicable'to an end 105 platform car aswell as to a side or center entrance car.

Heretofore the door openings or, passages have commonly been constructed between the platform and the compartment of a passenger car substantially crosswise or at right angles to the length of the car.

I am aware that singl door openings have been constructed diagonally or at an oblique angle with the length of the car in the interior structure of it for the purpose of changing the direction of, or the 'location of,

a passage from the side toward the center.'l of the car longitudinally, or for the purpose i of communicating with some interior sub- 12o division of the compartment., but do not know of passenger cars being yconstructed with two door openings or passages between theplatforni and the compartment set diagonally or at an oblique angle with the length of the car, and converging toward the platform.

Embodied in my invention are novel arrangements of the separate entrance and exit ,door or gate openings and novel doors or gates between the platform of Va car and its the main feat-ure of which is that a pair of doors or gates are located with the planes of theiropenings diagonal to the longitudinal vertical center plane of the car and converging toward the platform.

In theseveralfigures of the drawings, the pair of doors 35, 36, located between the platform 2l and the compartment or main floor 28, have their openings which the doors 35 and 36 normally close. extending vbetween planes of the doors when normally closed 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. given width.

of opening between the posts 60 and the posts 5S, 59 or 66, the posts 60 will be farther from the outside platform corner post 44 than if the posts 58, 59 or 66 and the post 60 were set in line with the post 44, and the openings l thus substantially crosswise or at right an- 4 gles to the longitudinal center line of the car.

T he results are that the passenger entering or leaving the compartment 28 is directed more nearly toward the longitudinal center plane of the car and farther away from passengers seated in the seats than if the door openings of equal 'width were loca-ted crosswise; that more space is inclosed in the compartment 28 without loss of useful space on the platform than if the openings were 'located crosswise; and that, in either end platforn'l or side entrance cars in whichthe trucks (Fig. l) are located close to the platform 21, or to the body end sill 62 (Figs. 5 and 6), center' or intermediate platform sills ,substantially integral withor continualions of the body center or intermediate sills 63 (Figs. 5 and 6) 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 used integral with or continuations of the body center or intermediate sill 63 in cars in which the door openings were crosswise and located over the body end sill 62 because the bend in the platform center sills would interfere with the trucks or wheels when\the car passed aroundcurves.

ln Fig. 5 the .' loors 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 ear as to forro with the center post a space 58a on the platform, in which space the conductor may be located.

Vln Fig. 6 another arrangement is shown in which the sliding doors35 and 36, operating in the usual manner, close upon the center door post 53. thus bringing the doors 35 and 36 and their openings more nearly toward the center of the car, and giving greater clearance to passengers seated on'the seats from passengers entering and leaving the car than as shown in'Fig. 5.

In Fig. 7 an arrangement is shown similar te that in Fig. 6, except thatdoor 36 at the right hand of Fig. 7 is a swingingdoor shown as swinging outward, though if vdesired it ,may swing in either direction; and in this connection it should alsobe stated that all of the doors 35 and 36 may be similar swinging doors.l

A novel arrangement of the pair of doors 35 and 36 embodying a part of my invention,

is illustrated in Figs. l', 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9,*in which a sliding door 35, hung from thel usual rollers 64 (Fig. 3) traveling on the usual rails 65 (Fig. 3) is carried by the vertical post 66 to which the rails 65 and its braces `67' (Fig. 3) are fixed. The vertical post 66,

shown in the drawings as a channel section, carries also the swinging door 36, whose hinges 68, litted with springs for retaining the door 36 normally in one position, are -fixed to the post 66.

The post 66 is pivoted atits top at its bottom at 74 in suitable bearings, such as shown in Fig. 3,.so as to be free to turn, carrying with it vthe doors 35 and 36; the purpose being -the use of the sliding door 3.5 for entering the compartment 28, from the platform 2l, and of the swinging door 36 for passing from the compartment'QS to the platform 2l, the positions of the doors 35 and 36 relative to the platform 21 and vto the compartment 2S being reversible by revolving the post 66 about its pivot 73, 74

so that whichever side of the car is open for ythe ingress and egress of passengers, the

at 75 and occupies the position indicated by the dotted 3 lines in the left of Fig. 3, and the Ydoor occupies the position indicated rby dotted lines at the left and below the center line .of

' Fig. 4.

The sliding door 35, normally closed against one or the other outer door posts 60, on being opened slides inwardly and diagonally toward the center of the car and over the platform 21, and provided with guards 69 (Figs. 3 and 4) consisting of wire screens or glazed partitions, or other suitable-materials, to prevent persons on the ist and 9) so that it may be normally opened outwardly only toward the platform 21, the post 66 is held by a hook 86, (see Fig. 3) or by any other suitable lookin device in either of the two positions at which the doors 35 and 36 will normally close the openings between the posts 60 and the post 66, in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The positions of the doors 35 and 36 are reversed by irst releasing the hook 86, then partially opening door 35 clear of post 60 and pulling the door 35 outwardly toward tlie platform 21. The' post 66 is therebyrevolved until thedoor is in the line in which it will slide int-o its closed position on that side of the post 6C opposite to that y from which it .was swung. At the beginning of this operation the door 3G will bej against the stop lY() as shown in Figs. 2 and Ml, and the stop is permanently xed to the post 60 so that the door 36 may be normally closed against the stop 70 to forni a weatherproofjoint. In order to shift the position of the door 36 from one door opening to the otlierby the method of operation previouslydescribed, thef door 36 must pass inwardly and swing through the compartment 2S.

In order that the door '36 may pass the stop 70 the pivot line of its hinges at 72 in Fig: l is set eccentric` to the axis of the pivots 'T 3 and 7l of the posts 6G, so that as the posts 66 revolve about their pivots 73, Tl, the pivot line 72 of the hinges (3S of the door 36 will be so moved that the door 36 will be withdrawn from the stop 70, and will then, by the tension of its spring hinges 68, swing around into compartment toward its new position. As soon as the door 36 is clear of'the stop. T() the movement of the door and 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 stopl 7() 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 continued until the door is in proper position to be slid into its new position covering the opening previously occupied by the door 36. The hook 86 is engaged to lock the Aposts G6 in its reversed `position thus completing the operation of reversing the doors 35 and 3G.

For the purpose of reducing the inunher of operations required to shift the positions of the doors 35 and 36, as previously described, and to reduce the number of guards 69 from two to one, I have shown in Figs. 8 and 9 a modified arrangement for shifting the above describedpositions of tlie doors 35 and 36, and this arrangement is the one I prefer.

The sliding door 35 and the swinging door 3G are mounted, as previously described, on the pivotedpost 66, except that the door 36 has its pivot line 72 througlrtlie hinges 68' coincident with the axis ofi the pivots 73 and 74 of the posts 66, as shown in Figs. S and 9.` The buttons 7l, capable of being turned out of the path of movement of the vdoor 36 and mounted on the posts (50, are

substituted for the permanent stops TO in Fig. l, and there is but one guard 69 for the sliding door 35, this guard 69 being pivoted at 75 and carrying fixed to it a gear T6 whose center coincides with the axis of the pivot T5. The gear T6 meshes with a gear 77 fixed to the pivoted posts ('G'with its axis coiiicident with the axis of the pivots 7 3 and '74 of the posts 6G.

I do Vnot limit myself to the use of the gears 76 and 7 T herein described for giving a. simultaneous motion in opposite directions of the guard 69 and the posts 6G, as there are other means of accomplishing the same results, for example by levers, or by crossed chain belting.

'l`he hand rails 32 (see Figs. 8 and 9) are hinged tothe guards GS) by a pivot T9, and are preferably provided with a suitable latch herein shown as a tongue 87, formed at their ends and adapted to be held in jaws S8 fixed tothe post 31 by pins S9 passing through a tongue 87 and the jaw S8, the function of the handy rails being to separate the entrance passages and the exit passages on the platforni- 21, as shown in Figs. 2 and l.

l he guard 69 is provided also with a bolt the guard (if). and fitting into the sockets S1 and S12 let'int'o, the fioor of the `platform 21, its purpose being to securely holdthe guard 60 and. therefore, the doors 35 and 36 in one. or the other of their normal positions durinL the operation of the car.

There are other locking devices in ordiof the bolts 30 and the sockets 8l and 82. In the arrangement of parts as described and as shown in Fig. 3. tliedoors are in their nornial position for operation.` the sliding door 35 on the left. andthe swinging doof 3C on the right. the door 36 being prevented from opening` inwardly hv the button 7l.

The entrance 2.() and the qxits 30 of the platform il are at the right of Fig. S. "l`o reverse this arrmigeinent .so that the entrance passage l and the exit passage il() on the platform 1 may he to the left. and so that the door 35 niav be on the right. and the door 36 on the left, the buttons 71 are S() sliding up and downon the outer edge of 'nar \7 use which will perform the functions the pivot To, the gears 76 and T7 thereby revio yolying the post 66 with* the attached doors 35 and 36 in a direction that the door 35 moves outwardly toward the platform 21, and when one half of the movement is completed the position will be as shown in Fig.

i S) and the direction of motion asindicated by the arrows in F ig. 9. Continuing the movement of guard G9 until the bolt SO registers with socket 82, locking 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 6G, and fastening the hand rail 3Q tothe vertical post 31 at theV left side of the platform 21, completes the reversal of the doors 35 and 36 and of the entrance and exit passages 29, 30 on the platform 9.1 from the right to the left side.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a` car in which my invention finds embodiment, provided with a trolley pole 90; with its trolley wheel. 91 in engagement with an overhead line wire 92 with its trolley rope 93 indicated as passing downwardly through the roof of a car at a point about midway its length to a point convenient for its manipulation by the conductor standing on the low platform of the car,-

the invention of which, however, is not here- 1 n described or claimed, and forms the sub- `)ect matter of another co-pending application, Serial No. 715,137 tiled August 12, 1912, also a division of said rst mentioned application., Serial No: 504,651, filed June 2S. 1909.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1 A railway passenger car comprising in combination a car floor, a platform extendinglthe entire width of said floor in'a plane below the saine, steps leading from the platfornrto said floor, an 'inside door directly v.fronting said steps, substantially as described.

'2. A railway passenger car comprising in combination a. oar floor, a platform extending substantially theY width of said-Hoor, in a plane below the same, steps located toward the opposite sides of said platform, and doors at the top of said steps in diagonal arrangement with reference to the body of the car', substantially as described.

3. A railway passenger car comprising in combination a car floor, a platform at the middlel ofthe car extending the entire Awidth of said fioor in a plane below the saine, a sideentrance to said platform steps leading from the platform to said floor, and separate entrances and exits to said steps, submiddle of the car extending the entire width of said floor in a plane below the same. steps leading from said platform to the floor, separate entrances and exits therefor and seats arranged lengthwise of the car adjacent said entrances and exits. and thereby providing a broad space for passengers making entrance to and exit from the car floor, and for standing room, substantially as described.

5. A. railway passenger car comprising` in combination' a car floor, a platform extendingl the entire width of said floor in a plane below the same, steps leading from said platform to the car floor, converging doors located at thc top of said steps, and means whereby said doors when moved to an open position are suspended at a point iinmediately above the platform, substantially as described.

6. A railway passenger car comprising in combination a car floor, a platform at the middle of the car extending4 substantially the entire width of said floor in a plane below the saine, a side entrance to said platform stairways leading from near the opposite sides of said platform to said floor, and

soV

hand rails and guards 69 supported from said platform whereby passengers are compellcd to cross said platform to reach the car floor, and exit passengers to pass from said floor directly to the entrance side of the platform, substantially as described.

T. A railway passenger car comprising in combination a car floor, a platform extending the entire, width of said floor, in a plane below the same. n side entrance to said platform exit steps adjacent the open side of said cail from the floor to said platform and entrance steps at the closed side of said car leading'froni the platform to said floor.y and means whereby passengers making their entrance to and exit from f'aid platforniare separated from each other, substantially as described.

8'. A railway passenger car comprising in combination a separated carloor, a platform between said floors extending the entire width thereofand ina plane below the same, entrances at both sides of said platform exit stairways leading from said floors to said platform at an open side of the car,`

combination a, separated floor, a platform intermediate of said separated floor extending to the outer side sills of the car ina plane below the floor, means for alternately opening and closing the sides of the car adjacent the sides of said platform, exit steps respectively from the adjacent ends of said floors to the side of the platform next thel open side of the car, entrance steps from the platform to the adjacent ends of said floors next the closedi side of the car, .oppositely arranged seats with their respective backs adjacent the side of the car, transversely arranged seats therefrom to the ends of the car, with a passage'between said seats, and seats closing the ends of said passage ways and leaving an inclosed standing space between said seats and adjacent to the end of the ear, substantially as described. i

10. A railway passenger car comprising in combination a car floor, a platform extending the entire width of said floor in a plane below the same, means for maintaining one side of said oar closed and the other open adjacent the sides of said platform, exit steps leading from the car iloor to the open side of said platform, entrance steps leading from said platform to the car Hoor, a door at the top of the enit steps. a door at the top of the entrance steps, which said doors, converge toward each other on a line substantially centrally the width of the car, whereby moving space for the doors is reduced to a minimum, the safety and nou-contact of entrance and exit passengers is provided for, and means whereby passengers entering and leaving the platform are prevented from obstructing each other, substantially as described.

11. A railway passenger car the ent ance 4and exit of which are through the sides of the car-at a point substantially removed' from its ends, comprising in combination side sills provided with bends extending across said entrances and exits, a platform extending from side to side of the car and supported from said sills in a plane entirely below the floor of the car, a single door structure adapted to alternately close or open one or the other of said side entrances, mechanical means supporting said doors when vtransferring them from one to the other of said openings, a railing separating theI entrance and exit passengers from'each other. means whereby said railing may be shifted from one side of the car to the other when likewise shifting the entrance to and exits therefrom, two sets of steps between and connecting the platform with the floor on each side thereof, a swinging and a sliding door for each two sets of steps. and means whereby the positions of the adjacent swinging and slidingdoors may be reversed with reference to their respective steps to correspond with the shifting of the entrance 13..A railway 'assenUer car havinv' in I combination adjacent inside doors obliquely arranged with reference to the length of the car and a single pivoted support common to both of said doors whereby -said ldoors may be shifted respectively from one door opening tothat before occupied by the other, substantially as described.

14. A railway passenger car having in combination a car body adjacent inside doors diagonally arranged with reference to each other and the car body, a single support joining said doors at their apex, and means whereby said doors may be simultaneously shifted on said support from one door open-y ing to the other, substantially as described.

15. A railway passenger car having in combination adjacent inside doors diagonally arranged with reference to each other and obliquely arranged with reference to the length of the car, one of which doors slides and the other swings to close and open its doorway, a singlesupport common to both ofsaid doors,l means whereby said.

ldoors may be shifted'from one of the two door openings to the other, and means for limiting the movement of both of said doors in both directions, substantially as de scribed.

16. A .railway passenger-car having in combination inside doors arranged obliquely with reference to the length of the car, a single snpport common 10 both of said doors, and mechanical' means operating to simultaneously shift said doors to an operative position relative to either of their door openings, substantially as described.

17. A- railwaypassenger car having in Acombination,adjacent inside doors in oblique arrangement with reference to each other, a single post supporting said doors, means limiting the closing movement of said doors, and a Screen outwardly therefrom limiting the opening movement of said doors, substantiallyy as describe-d.

18. A railway passenger car comprising in combination a ca-r floor, a platform extending the entire width of said floor in a plane below the saine, steps leading from the' platform to the car floor, a door supporting post rising above said platform, in. side doors in diagonal arrangement supported from said posts toward their converging point, which doors when closed, have their bottom substantially on a plane, with theA car floor and when moved to an open position project over the platform, substantially as described.

19. A railway passenger car having in combination inside doors which -in their closed position form two sides of a triangle,

.a single post supporting said .doors at the apex of lsaid triangle, a similarly arranged` fixed screen outwardly from said doors, the

. apex of which screen is in the same line as that of the doors, and. means whereby said screen limits the opening movement of both of lsaid doors, substantially as described.

one side of the cai` to the other for alternately closing and unclosing the openings therein, substantially as described.

2l. A side `entrance car` comprising in combination a single door structure, an elevated traclrextending transversely across the said car in a plane directly above Vsaid openings and forniinga tramway for shifting, said door structure from one side entrance opening to the other, substantially as described..

In witness whereof, I have. hereunto set' HERBERT MCNULTA. [13. s]

Witnessesz JNO. G. ELLIOTT, I. H. MALLIN.

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