US1476974A - Inside stairway and folding door for double-deck motor coaches - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 11, 1923.

A. E. HUTT INSIDE STAIRWAY AND FOLDING DOOR FOR DOUBLE DECK MOTOR COACHES Filed March 5. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTOR: agkv' m ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 11, 1923. 1,476.974

A. E. HUTT msnm STAIRWAY AND FOLDING DOOR FOR DOUBLE DECK MOTOR 001101155 Filed March 5. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet z 1 J4 1.3 I m o W 1 1 If 10 "$3 629 i 24 f1. {0 1 Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT E. HUTT, F PHILADELPHIA. PENNSYLVANIA.

INSIDE STAIRWAY AND FOLDING DOOR FOR DOUBLE'DECK MOTOR COACHES.

Application filed March 5, 1923. Serial No. 622,755.

' useful Inside Stairway and Folding Door for Double-Deck Motor (oat-hes. of which the following is a specification.

In the conventional double deck motor bus of the character commonly in vogue, there has heretofore been employed an unsheltered outside stairway for permitting the ascent of the 'ssengers to the upper deck, which outsi e stairway has always been so designed that it took up a reat deal of unnecessary room, and in addition being always open to storms and the effects 6f inclement weather, the steps thereof in ticularly if the vehic bad weather were always open to the effects skipper-y or coated dition has always had a tendency to intimidatepa-ssengers from ventnring aloft and has tended to a loss of revenue. from the re luctanoe of passengers tuketherisk in curred in elnmbering t the upper deck, parwas in motion;

For the purposeof'obviating the foregoing objectionable conditions, I have devised a novel construction and collocation of enclosed, inside stairway for a motor-,busivhich and takes up yery littlo room, is weather proof, rovidedwvith an inside folding door, whic 1 folds inwardly into the stair well and preferably against the center stringer, whereby a maximum standing space is provided on the lower deck, and since the stairway is wholly within the vehicle body, it gives the ascending passenger a sense of security and safety and enables the transportation company to sell the upper deck seats more readily. and since the foldin doors fold inwardly into thistair well I am thus enabled to utilize the entire seating and" standing capacity of the bus. and particularly provide room for standing passengers on the lower deck by reason of my novel folding door construction.

My novel stairway is so dcsigncd and collocated within the vehicle that the user thereof. upon entering the rear of thebus,

walks entirely across the rear vestibule beyond the center aisle line before reaching the folding doors aforesaid and the first or lower stair treads, so that he is entirely within the vehicle before beginning his as cent and as the folding doors fold inwardly into the stair well the passenger has ample room to make the ascent, without being impeded by the projecting or folding doors sincethe lat-tor fold entirely out of his pathway into the stair well.

To the above cnds. my invention consists of a winding stairway common to the u perand lower decks. located in a corner 0 the bus opposite the passenger entrance, so that the end of the aisle of the lower deck inter vcncs between said entrance and the lower treads, the latter being spaced away from the end of the bus while the upper treads terminate. at the upper deck in proximity to said end, in conjunction with folding doors adapted to be folded into the stair well out of the path of the passengers.

It further consists of a novel combination of a. winding stairway, avertical hand rail, :1 central stringer, a stair door post, a door post and folding doors common theret and collocated in a; novel manner with respect tion, I have shown in the accompanying drawings a form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since it will give in practico satisfactory and reliable moi-ts, nl-' though it is to he understood that the various instru'lnentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and thatmy invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and orgam ization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure- 1 represents a side elevation of the invention showing therear entrance door open and the doors to the inside stairway folded out of sight in the back of the stair door post.

Figure 2 represents a section on line 22 of Figure l. on an enlarged scale, showing the doors in their closed or unfolded position.

Figure 3 wpresents, on an enlarged Scale, a sectional view of the hinge connection common to one of the door sections and the rear of the stair door post.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings:

1 designates the rear end of a motor coach, having the lower deck 2 and the up per deck 3, said lower deck having the central aisle lend the rear vestibule or platform space 4, in which is the upright stair door post 5, in advance of which is the door post 6, the latter being to one side of the center aisle 3. The stair door post 5 is spaced well away from the rear end 7 of the coach, as will be understood from Figure 2, i

so that a well defined standing s nice 8 is 10 afi'orded and there is also a we! defined standing space 9 pnwided between the door posts 5 and (3. T he relative position'of the center stringer l0 and the outer stringer 11, and the lower stair trends 12, 13, 14-, 15 16 15 and so on up, will be understood from Figure 2, whereby a cinrular or winding stairway is provided, the lower treads being spaced well away from the rear end 7 0f the coach, while the upper trends as 16 and 17 20 terminate in proximity to said rear end and enable the passenger to step out upon the up 1' deck 3. l

ithin the center stringer 10 is formed the stair well 18, in which is located the vertieal hand rail 19, which extends from the platform 4 upwardly through the u r deck 3, to about the extent indicated in inure 1, its upper end being deflected laterally as at 20 and then downwardly as at 21.

Especial attention is called to the collocation and arrangement of the folding doors 22, seen in Figure 2, said'doors being composed of the sections 23 and 24, hinged together at 25, while the section 24 is secured to the hinged member or leaf 26, which is hinged at 27 to the hinge member,28. which is secured to the inner face of the stair door post 5.

When the door 22 is closed or unfolded, the sections23 and 24 appear as seen in full lines in Figure 2, the forward end of the section 23 abutting against the door post 6. \Vhen the door is open or'in folded osition, the parts appear as seen dotted'in igure 2, the folded door rxxrupying the space in the stair well 18 intermediate the hand rail 19 and the stair door port 5, and being folded against the center stringer 10, It will be understood that the passenger on entering the rear of the coach walks across the'wear end of the aisle 3, and between the door posts 5 and 6 to the lower treads 12 and 13, so that he is entirely within the rear vestibule before begins his ascent of-the stairs, and the door 22 being in open or folded position, affords no obstruction to quick ingress to or egress from the stairs, and in addition permits, when folded a' maximum amount. of room in thespaw between and in proximity \to the posts 5 and 6 for the standing passen- ,(rers and conductor to stand or more about in. This economizim, and utilization of space in the rear of a. motor coach of this character is a feature of very great importance in pussem other section zidepted to abut against said -against said center stringer in'said would otherwise be wasted or occupied by a projecting door to be utilized as above explained.

llavillg thus described my inventionwhat' I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is e 1. In a double deck motor coach,an upper and lower deck,e stairway common thereto, a stair door post spaced away from the lower treads of said stairway, a coactin door post between which access is had to sai l stairwa. and a folding 'door hin 'to said stair door post and adapted w on open to abut: against theopposifie post and when folded to be positioned betweenthestair door post and said stairwavhnd out of the pathway to the latter.

2. In a double deck motor coach, on upper and a lower deck, a. circular stairway commen to said decks, a oenterstringer within which is formed a stair well, a. stair door post, a door post forward of thelatter, ac; cess being afforded between-said" post to said stairway, and a. folding door hinged to saidstair door post and adapted when folded to be positioned against said center stringer antlll to occupy the space within said stair we 3.' In a double deck motor ooach,-a circa q lnr stairway, a center stringer therefor, ac stair door post in proximity to said stringer, a door post located in advance thereof, and, a folding door having one section hinged tothe inner face of said stair door post,q.and.the

door post, said door being adapted toiold stair well, so as to be out ofthe path to said Sta-irway when folded; I

4. In a double deck motor coach, an upper and a lower deck, a circular stairway common to said decks and positioned in the rear corner of said coach across the aisle from the rear outer entrance, :1 center stringer for said stairway, an outer stringer for said stairwirv, a stair door post positioned inproximity to said center stringer, a. doorpost in proximity to said outer stringer and a folding door hinged to, the inner faceof said stair door post andadapted tobe folded his \rearwardly against said center stringer and to occupy the stairwell within the letter.

5. In a double deck motor coach, an upper and a lower deck, a circular stairway common to said decks and located in the rear end of said coach, a center stringer for said stairway, an outer stringer, forsaid stairway, a. stair door post located in proximity to said center stringer, a. door post located in prox imity to said outer stringer, a vertical hand rail in the 'stair well formed within said center stringer, and a folding door hinged to the inner portion of said stair door stand adapted to be folded against sai center stringer and to occupy the space in said stair well intermediate said vertical hand at the upper deck in roximity to said end. rail and stair door posts. folding doors for sairl stairway, and means 6. In a motor coach, upper and lower for permitting said doors to be folded into decks, a winding stairway common thereto the stair well out of the path of the passen- 5 and located in a corner of the bug opposite gers. 15

the passenger entrance so that t e end of the aisle of the lower deck intervenes be- ALBERT tween said entrance of the lower treads, the W'itnesses: latter being spaced away from the end of JOSEPH F. COLLINS,

10 the bus, while the upper treads terminate E. A. 001mm, Sr.

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