US364565A

US364565A - Sleeping-car

Info

Publication number: US364565A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1887-06-07
Anticipated expiration: 1904-06-07

Description

(No-Model.) I 5 SheetS -Sheet 1.

J. AULD.

SLEEPING OAR. No. 364,565. Patented June 7; 1887.

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(No Modell) 5 sneak-sheet 2.

J.AULD.

H SLEEPING GAR. '5'P Patented June 7, 1 887.

WITNE55E5 'INVENTEIFK (No Model.) 5 Sheeizs shmat; 3.

J.AU.LD'.

SLEEPING GAR. No. 364,565. Patented June 7, 1887.

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(No Model.) '5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. AULD. SLEEPING UAR.

No. 364,565. Patented June 7, 18:87.

WITNEESEE INVENTEIR l I Q (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

J. AULD.

SLEEPING GAR,

No. 364,565. Patented June '7, 1887.

WITN E55 ES l 1 INVENTDR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH AULD, OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT.

SLEEPING-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,565, dated June '7, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J osnrrr AULD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Burlington, county of Chittenden, State of Vermont, have invented a new and usefuiImprovement in Sleeping-Cars and Sleeping-Car Berths, (for which I have obtained no foreign Letters Patent whatever,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to arrangements-and the combination of arrangements of the various parts required to form the ordinary seats to be day arrangement.

used in day travel to be changed for the purpose of forming sleeping berths for night travel, each berth to be at the same time provided with a private dressing-room for each passenger. In the ordinary sleeping-ear now in use there is no provision for convenience in dressing and undressing within the limits of the berth or berth-room,exeept in a crouching and uncomfortable attitude.

The object of my invention is to provide within and adjacent to the berth and berthspace a separate apartment or inclosure within which the occupant or occupants of each berth (the upper and the lower, both) may privately dress and undress.

The invention consists in the various details and arrangements, and combinations of the same, as set forth in the following specification, and more particularly in the several claims annexed hereto. c

I attain the objects of my invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the intermediate position when the dressing-rooms are ready for use. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the nightposition as in use for sleeping purposes. Fig. 4 shows the detailsof the seat arrangement on an enlarged scale, and Fig. 5 shows the arrangement of the curtain in perspective. Fig. '6 shows the under side of one of the seats or seat-cushions enlarged; and Fig. 7 shows another view of the parts shown in Fig. 4, with the part-s closed in for day use.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu ghout the several views.

Application filed October 16, 1886. Serial No. 216,378. (No model.)

I arrange two seats facing each other in the manner now commonly practiced for the day use of the sleeping-car, and adjoining one end of the .two seats thus facing each other I providean additional space, Dsay two feet, more orlesslengthwise of the car,within which the seatS maybe fixed adj oining the side of the car. At the back of the adjoining seat,and moving, preferably, in the frame of the same, I provide a vertically-sliding partition, 1?; which being depressed in the day-time, its top comes level with the top of the back of the seat, as shown in Fig. l, but, when raised at night, forms the support of the hinged berth B, which is divided into two parts or leaves at L, and may be dropped down upon the upper edge of the same, as shown in Fig. 3. This partition 1? may be secured in its raised position by means of bolts 0, by spring-dogs,"or by any usual device whereby it maybe easily released and allowed to drop again into its lower position.

The upper berth is divided into two parts at a point adjacent to that which. comes in contact with the partition I, one of these parts being about the size of the dressingroom D, provided under or'at the end of the upper berth, B, as stated, and provided on its under side, for convenience, with a locking-glass, G, for toilet purposes.

\Vhen the upper berth is about to be put into use, the sliding partition I? is raised into position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the larger portion of the upper berth is dropped down into position for sleeping, as shown in Fig. 2, the smaller portion of the upper berth being allowed to remain in the same position in which it is held during the day. The person who is to occupy the upper berth may then enter the dressing-room D, aud,when prepared to retire, may, by stepping upon the seat, or in any other convenient manner, reach a position upon the larger part of the upper berth, the smaller part of the upper berth still being raised, whereupon this smaller part may be dropped down, the back of it being upholstered or provided with a spring-mattress to correspond with the back of the larger portion, so as to form a couch. The smaller part of the berth B", when so depressed, is sup- IOO ported by the sliding partition 1? on one side and upon the other side by a ledge or strip, S, secured to the movable partition which separates the apartment; from the adjoining berth and its apartment. At the other end of the upper berth, B, I provide a hinged piece, H, proportioned and shaped so as to fill the space between the curtain and a sloping upper part, 0, of the side of the car corresponding to the upper berth when in position for day use.

The part-partitions II and 0 separate the upper berth from the dressing-room D, provided for the lower berth, B, and provide shelf-space or closet-room for the upper berth.

T T are partitions separating B and B from the two similar berths at each side or end, and a compartment is thereby formed for the use of the passengers occupying the upper and lower berths, as shown.

Each seat in that part of the compartment allotted to the lower berth is provided with a back, K K, at the back of which a springmattress is arranged, so that when these two backs are thrown i'orward they all constitute a considerable portion of the couch and support a spring-mattress or other bed for the occupant of the lower berth. The seats for day use, being also provided on the under side with corresponding spring mattresses or bed, when turned bottom side up and placed in position between the turned-over backs, constitute a complete bed. Until the occupant of the lower berth is ready to occupy his berth, or when undressing or dressing, K should be left up in its day position to give standingroom. The occupant of the lower berth will thus have an apartment within which to undress and dress behind the curtain, and in an erect position.

lVhen ready to occupy the berth, it is only necessary for the passenger to place himself upon the other portion of the lower berth, turn down the back of the seat K adjoining or in his compartment, when his berth will be complete for use for sleeping purposes. In this compartment D, intended for the use of the occupant of the lower berth, the sloping permanent side of the ear 0 at the upper part is also provided with a looking-glass, G, as is the smaller part of berth B on its under side. Adjoining the dressingroom D, and underneath the adjacent seat, I provide a compartment for the baggage or property of the occupant of the upper berth, for the bedding, or for the baggage of any passenger during the day-time, access to which is obtained by raising the sliding partition P, which, when lowered during the daytime, conceals and protects the contents of the apartment. One objection to the present system of upper and lower berths is, that the curtain, being continuous from top to bottom and divided in the center vertically, when either passenger desires to throw back the curtain, the other passengeris liable to unexpected and undesirable exposure. I provide, first, a continuous curtain, A, for the whole compartment, suspended from a rod, R, or some other convenient holder, in the upper part of the car; and, second, I provide a supplementary curtain, A, which is attached at the upper edge to the outer edge of the larger part of the upper berth only, and hangs down and extends to the floor in front of the lower berth, so as to protect its occupant from exposure by any of the necessary movements of the occupant of the upper berth.

I11 entering and leaving the dressing-room D it is only necessary for the occupant of the upper berth to move aside that portion of the main curtain A which is opposite the dressingroom D,without disturbing any other portion either of the main curtain or of the supplementary curtain A. The main curtain also extends across and protects the compartment intended for the occupant of the lower berth, and whenever the occupant of the lower berth desires either to enter or leave his com partmcnt or berth it is only necessary for him to move or turn aside that portion of the curtain opposite the dressing-room D of his compartment. The main curtain is continuous throughout, and not divided in the center. So, also, is the supplementary curtain continuous throughout. These two curtains may be made entirely separate, or they may be attached on a vertical central line, in which latter case it will be necessary to arrange the curtain so that it shall be readily detachable from the edge of the upper berth, and not permanently secured thereto, as it may be when the supplementary curtain is entirely independent of the main curtain. It will be seen that in this arrangement the upper berth is not arranged directly and entirely over the under berth, and by thus displacing the upper berth in relation to the lower oneI am able to provide a dressing-room in the manner described at each end of the compartment, one for the occupant of the upper berth and the other for the occupant of the lower berth, in which each may dress and undress in a perfectly-erect position, without crouching, and with perfect convenience, the passenger being at all times able, without dii'iiculty, to reach any portion of his berth or of his portion of the general compartment.

The upper sections, T T, of the partitions T 'I are removable, so that for day use the entire length and breadth of the car may present an unobstructed view. M is a handle or step, which may be used for moving the partition P or to aid in mounting into the upper berth.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. A compartment of a sleeping-ear provided with the upper and lower berths, 13 and B, in combination with the adjoining dressing-rooms D and D, each occupyinga portion of its own berth-space, as shown and described.

2. A compartment of a sleeping-ear provided with thenpper and lower berths, B and 4. The upper berth, B, divided into two B, in combination with the adjoining dressparts, in combination with the partition P and I0 ing-roorns D and D, the upper berth C{divided hinged part-partition H. into two parts, as shown and describe V 5 v3. The two-part berth B, in combination JOSEPH AULD' with the partitions P, the latter forming one Witnesses: side of the dressing-room D for the occupant F. F. MILLS, of the upper berth. EDWARD S. BERRALL.