US411817A - Combined sleeping and parlor car - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet l. H. W. LIBBEY. GOMBINED SLEEPING AND PARLOR GAR.

No. 411,817. Patented 001:. 1, 1889.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. W. LI-BBEY. COMBINED SLEEPING AND PARLOR UAR.

Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

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HOSEA \V. LIBBEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSE"TS.

COMBINED SLEEPING AND PARLOR CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 411,817, dated October 1, 1889. Application filed November 11, 1886. Serial No. 218,575. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Hoses W. LIBBEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Parlor and Sleeping Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in parlor and sleeping cars; and the invention consists in certain details of construction hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a portion of a car embodying my invention, showing some of the berths opened out as when used as a sleeping-car. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the berths folded up as when used as a parlor-car. Figs. 3 to 11 represent detail views of various parts.

A represents the inner side of a car, and B the floor.

0 C are partitions hinged to the side of the car, so that they can be opened out, as shown in Fig. 1, or closed, as shown in Fig. 2. These partitions are of an I form in cross-section (see Fig. 3)that is, with a long central portion a and two end pieces b cone of the end pieces I) being hinged to the side of the car, so that when opened out that piece will be turned flush with the side of the car, while the end piece 0 will be facing the passage-way. To these two end pieces I) c are hinged the bottoms of the berths D-one-half a bottom on each side of the central portion a-so that when a berth is required for use two of the portions G are opened out and the half-berth bottoms D between them are lowered, thereby forming a complete berth.

It will be seen that there are two series of the partitions C-an upper series and a lower oneeither or both of which can be opened out, as desired. If only the upper seriesare opened out, then a clear space will be left un-- der them from end to end of the car, and there will be no necessity of removing the chairs, or a portion of the upper and a portion of the lower berths may be opened out and some of the chairs left in position, as shown in Fig. 1.

To support and hold the berthbottoms D in the center where they join, I provide the ends of the side pieces (Z (l of one-half of the berth-botton1 with dowels c and the corresponding half of the side pieces with mortises to receive same, so that when the two portions of the berth-bottom are lowered the dowels will enter the mortises and prevent the bottom sagging. To further support the bottom of the upper berths in the center, I provide a folding bracket E, the construction of which will be best seen in Fig. 4. In the side A of the car Iprovidea recess f, in which is hinged a T-shaped furcated arm g. To the outer end of the arm 9 is hinged a bar h, the lower end of which is hinged to a block 2', that is free to work up and down in the groove f, but has a solid bearing when at its lowest points. The outer end of the arm 9 is also provided with pins j j, that pass through holes in the bottom of the berth and a short distance into the mattress, thereby locking them together. When the berth is not in use, the arm 9 is folded up into the upper portion f of the recess, the pins j entering holes f. As the armg is folded up, the slide '5' travels up the recess f and the bar h fits in between the forks of the arm 9, thereby leaving the outer surface flush with the side of the car.

The bottoms of the lower berths when lowered are supported by legs or standards It, (see Fig. 1,) secured to one-half of the berth bottom in such manner that when the berthbottom is raised the leg will by its own weight fall into a recess cut in the under side of the side piece (Z, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

To assist in raising the berth-bottoms to a vertical position, I employ a coil or other spring S, one end of which is secured to the partition and the other end to the bottom of the berth.

When bothihe upper and lower partitions are opened out, they are locked together by means of a flush-bolt F, and are further supported by means of a folding leg G, (see Figs. 1 and 5,) hinged on the rear side of the side piece 0, so that when not required for use it can be folded into a recess a, cut in the bottom of the piece a, and when in use is let down and secured to the floor of the car by a tion a of the upper partition'is hinged a filling-in'piece I, so as to close the space between the top of the partition 0 and the roof of the car. WVhen in the raised position, as shown in Fig. 1, it is secured by a flush-bolt J, that passes into the roof of the car, and when not required for use is folded onto the portion a.

hen the berths are folded up and the car used as a parlor-car, as shown in Fig. 2, the upper and lower partitions O are secured together by the flush-bolt F, and are held to the side of .the car by a flush hook or catch K, shown detached at Fig. 6, and it consists of a plate 1,depressed in the center and provided with a cross-bar or handle 2, to the rear of which is secured a spindle 3, that carries the hook or catch 4, which, when the berths are shut up, passes over a pin 5 in a recess in the side of the car. (See Fig. 1.)

To one side of each of the lower partitions C, Isecure folding steps L, (see Figs. 1 and 7,) so that when a person wishes to get into the upper berths the steps can be let down, and when not required for use can be shut up out of the way, as shown in-dot-ted lines in Fig. 7. These steps consist of a number of flat boards k, hinged at one end to the portion C and at the other end to two bars Z Z. To sup port the steps when let down I hinge one end of a bar m to the partition 0, and the other end I hinge to a sliding block '12., that is free to travel in a guide 19 011 the under side of the bottom step, thereby forming a firm support to the steps, while the bar m is carried out of the way when the steps are shut up. To the rear portion of the steps a piece of thin materialsuch as clothmay be secured. To the rear side of the end pieces 0 of the upper partition O are secured rods M M for carrying the curtains of the upper berths. These rods are just half the length of the berth, and

vwhen not in use lie at the back of the side pieces 0, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and when required for use are secured together by means of a bolt (1, (see Fig. 8,) provided with a hook or'ring r, by means of which I the bolt can be pushed backward or forward.

N is a spring secured at its upper end to one of the beams of the roof and provided at its lower end with a hook or rin The objeet of this spring is to assist in supporting the curtain-rods M in the center, and when in use its lower end is caught onto the hook r, and when not in use the spring is drawn up, so that only the ring on its end will be seen; or a small drum with a spring may be secured in the roof and a cord wound around it having at its lower end a ring, so that it can be drawn down, and when not in use the spring will wind the cord upon the drum.

To support the curtains for the lowerberths I provide the side boards d (l of the upper berths with a rounded metal rod (1, (shown in on, or otherwise permanently attached to them, so as to designate which berth the curtain belongs to, and also to indicate to passengers which are their respective berths.

It will be seen that by this construction of berths all parts can be folded up into the space occupied by the p'artition'C, as shown in Fig. 10, which is a vertical section through the upper and lower partitions,with the berths folded up, sbeing the mattress, andtthe bed clothes, &e. The bottoms of the half-berths that stand toward the inside'of the car when the partitions areclosed are paneled or othwise decorated to conform to the other parts of the car. V p

In each of the berths I place folding pockets U, (see Figs. 1 and 11,) which consistof a back pieceu, to which arehinged two pieces o w, and to the latter piece w is hinged a11- other piece it. To the edges of the back piece a and pieces 0 w 00 are secured pieces of flexible material y, that form the sides of the pockets, so that when the pockets are empty they will fold flat against the back piece ul. At the ends of the pieces 1) as, I secure studs or standards 2, on which a hat, bonnet,or other article can. be placed.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. The combination of the partitions O, hinged to the side of the car, the end pieces 0 being finished to correspond with the side walls of the car, with berth-bottoms D, hinged to the partitions O, the bottom of the berths 011 one side being finished to correspond to the side walls of the car, so that when closed up the partition will stand longitudinally against the side of the car and occupy the space of a window and also conform to the general appearance of the walls of the car,

and the partition 0, said filling-in piecebeing capable of being folded upon the partition and the partition capable of being folded against the side of the car, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The spring S, in combination with the partition 0 and berth-bottom D, for assisting to raise the latter to a vertical position, substantially as shown and described.

5. The folding bracket E, consisting of a T-shaped furcated arm g, hinged to the side of the car in a groove f, a bar h, the upper end of which is hinged to the outer end of the arm 9 and its lower end to'a block 1', held in but free to work in the groove f, so that it will support the two half-berth bottoms in the center when in use, and capable of being in use, substantially as shown and described.

6. The flush hook or catch K, in combination with the partitions C and side of the car A, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The folding ladder L, in combination with the partition 0 and berths, substantially as shown and described.

8. In combination with the folding ladder L, the bar m, slide n, and guides p, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. The curtain-rods M, divided in the center and provided with a bolt q, in combination with the partitions G, substantially as shown and described.

10. The spring N, secured to the roof of the HOSEA W. LIBBEY.

Witnesses:

F. H. ADAMS, E. PLANTA.

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