US497677A - Railway-car - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. MORRISON.

RAILWAY GAR.

No. 497,677. Patented May 16, 1893.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shet' 2,

J. D. MORRISON. I

RAILWAY CAR. 7 V No. 497,677. Patented May 16, 1893.

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(No Model.) 3" Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. D. MORRISON.

RAILWAY GAR.

No. 497,677; Patented May 16, 1893.

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JAMES D. MORRISON, OF REINBECK, IOI/VA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MORRISON CONVERTIBLE CAR SEAT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAI LWAY-CAR.

QPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 497,677, dated May 16, 1893.

Application filed October 1, 1892;

T0 at whom, it may concern: Y

Be it known that 1, JAMES D. MORRISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reinbeck, in the county of Grundy and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in RailwayOars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of convertible day-coaches, the seats of which are adapted to be converted into sleepingberths; and it relates particularly to an improvement in the construction of the, convertible seat forming the nucleus of the invention in railway-cars for which Letters Patent of the United States No. 475,791 were granted to me on the 31st day of May, 1892.

Geiierall y stated, my aforesaid patented invention involves the seats of a passenger daycoach rendered convertible into sleepingberths by providing alternate seats with separable seat-portions connected with the seatbases by means of folding sections extensible upward to elevate the seat-portions into and support them in position for upper sleepingberths; the backs of the seats are adjustable in the direction of alignment with the seat portions to extend the couch at either side thereof, separable and adjustable means being provided for extending the couch at the opposite side, and means are also provided for supporting the raised seat-portions at their inner or wall-ends and for supporting the seat-extensions for the couch. Thus the upper berths are formed with alternate seats in the car, the intermediate ones not requiring that their seat-portions be separable and adapted to be raised, but having their backs adjustable to form extensions in either direction of the couch-portions for lower berths and being provided with separable means adjustable for extending the couch-portions in the opposite direction.

The primary object of my present improvement, while retaining the broad principle contained in my aforesaid patented invention of the separable seat-portions of the seats connected with the seat-bases by means of folding upward extensible connections for use in supporting the seat-portions in position for upper sleeping-berths, is to simplify and better the construction by dispensing with any Serial No. 447.470- (No model.)

details requiring separation from the seatstructure to ad j ustit into its seat-form and re-adjust it into place'to form the berth.

Afurther object is to render self-supporting the extensions of the seat-portion when adjusted to form a couch; and a still further oh- 5 ject is to provide sectional means for connecting the separable seat-portions with their bases and which are extensible upward to elevate and support the seat-portions inposition for upper berths, the construction of which connectingmeansshall adapt them to fold against the seat-bases in the direction transversely thereof.

To accomplish my first-named object, I provide a seat, or each seat to be converted, whether into an upper or a lower berth, with two swinging backs, hinged or pivoted for 0pposite sides of the seat-portion, neither, however, requiring to be reversible, as the back should be according to my aforesaid patent, but each or either being adapted to be folded I flatwise on the seat-portion and being adj ustable into position to serve as a seat-back,and both being extensible at the opposite sides of the seat-portion to form the couch for a sleeping-berth.

To accom plish my said other objects, (which, however, are in no way dependent on the accomplishment of the first-named, nor of each other) I so form the hacks, (for attaining my said second object,) and connect them with the seat at its opposite sides, as to cause them to brace themselves against the seat-portion when lowered to the positions of extending it to form the berth-couch; and (to attain my.

last-named object) I provide connected links at the ends of the seats, connecting the separable seat-portions with their bases and adapted to be folded transversely across the seatbases and providedwith suitable means for bracing them when extended upward to ele vate and support the separable seat-portions in the positions of upper sleeping-berths.

My improvement also involves detailsof construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 represents a central longitudinal sectional view in elevation of a broken portion of a car provided with my improvement,

the View being in the nature of a diagram. Fig. 2 represents end-views of two car-seats rendered convertibleby my improvements, the one at the left of the figure representing a series, the members of which have their seat-portions adapted to be elevated and supported in position for upper sleeping-berths and the other representing another series, the members of which alternate with the firstnamed, not being so adapted. Fig. 3 isa view in end elevation of the extensible car-seat, represented in part by dotted lines and showing by full-lines the extensible and folding means for connecting the separable seat-portion with its base and the hinged adjustable backs. Fig. l is a broken view in elevation representing the inner side of an end of any one of the car-seats employedin my improvement, showing a guide-slot detail for use in supporting and shifting the adjustable backs. Fig. 5 is a double vertical sectional view taken at the line 5 011 Fig. 1 and at the line 5 on Fig. 2, and viewed as indicated by arrows. Fig. 6 is a broken perspective view illustrating the construction of the adjustable seatback. Fig. 7 is a broken section taken at the line 7 on Fig. 6 and showing locking details with which each seat-backis to be provided. Figs. 8 and 9 are broken views in perspective showing retainer-details for sustaining the distended sectional connections of the separable seat-portions of the seats with their bases.

A denotes my improved vertically extensible car-seat adapted to be converted into an upper sleeping-berth represented in Fig. 1, the seat being shown in Figs. 2 and 3 in its normal, or folded, condition as a OaP'SGtIt.

A denotes a car-seat of a series, the mem-. bers of which alternate with the seats A and.

are adapted to be converted into lower sleeplng-berths, as represented in Fig. 1, from their normal folded condition in which the seat illustrated in Fig. 2 is represented.

Each of the seats A and A comprises a base 7' of usual or anysuitable form and construetion, surmounted by a seat-portion p, and it has adjustable backs A and A respectively. supported, in their positions of backs, at opfor journals 1?. extending outward from the posite sides of the seat.

The width of the backs of car-seats is ordinarily greater than that of the seat-portions; and inasmuch as I propose to adapt the backs of my improved seats each to be folded flatwise upon a seat-portion p, and as they should not, when so folded, project beyond the edges of the seat-portions,.I prefer to form each in two sections, the lower one q of which corresponds in width, approximately at least, with that of the seat-portion p,and the upper one g, which serves to increase the width of the back to any desired extent, being adj ustably hinged, (or otherwise connected to fold,) to the upper edge of the section q and adapted to be folded under the latter. To adapt the section q of each back to fold flush with the section q, I provide in the outer edge-portion of the latter, in its rear side, an offset in the upholstery to receive the upholstered thickness of the section q when folded. As a suitable means for rendering the head-section q adjustable on its hinge I may employ the mechanism illustrated in detail in the upper portion of Fig. 7 and comprising a springplate 15 fastened at one end to the inner side of the end-bar of the frame of the section q and carrying toward its opposite end the thumb-piece t, passing through an opening 00' in the said end-bar, and a locking-lug passing through an openingacin the end-bar, below the opening x, into a socket e, or opening, in the adjacent portion of the frame of the lower section q. As many of the openings v as desired may be provided, in an arc concentric with the hinge-center v to adapt the section q to be held in any position,such as represented by dotted lines, to which it maybe adjusted to serve as ahead-piece, particularly when the back is in its lowered position of forming a portion of a sleepingberth couch, as hereinafter described. 'lo permit the adjustment, the section q is freed by pressing against the protruding thumb-piece t to Withdraw the locking-lug 15 from an opening 1).

The backs A and A of each seat are hinged to opposite sides thereof in amannerto adapt either, depending on the direction of motion of the car, to be adjusted into position to serve as a seat-back, and permit theother to be folded fiatwise on the seat-portion p; and to adapt both to be extended flatwise or horizontally from the seat-portion and form a sleeping-berth couch. Owing to the seam af- 1 forded between the adjacent edges of the back-section q, when folded, and back of its receiving offset in the section q, the back should not be folded against the scat-portion p with the seam-side uppermost, since discomfort might ensue, in consequence, to the occupant. Accordingly I adapt the back to be folded with its seamed side down, as follows: In the inner side of the seat-frame, at each end of the seat, I provide a guide-groove 0 (see Fig. 4), of the general shape of an inverted U, the ends of which afford sockets of the figure for holding the back-section q" in any adjusted position, need not be minutely described.

To fold a back down against a seat-portion p (which is thereby thickened and supple mented, accordingly), it is released from its locked condition and raised at its journals n frame.

ing it to be lowered on the journals it upon the seat-portion p with its rear orseamed side downward.

To convert the seats A and A respectively into upper and lower sleeping-berths, their. backs A and A are adjusted into positions.

of'eXtending flatwise or horizontallyfrom the opposite sides of the seat-portions, in

which positions they are braced, without requiring any further support, by the inner fiat edges of the backs meeting the adjacent outer, or back and front, sides of the seatseats A, alternating with them, into upper Folding connections B and B, each formed with pivotal links, m and m (two links for each set of the connections being sufficient, .though more may be employed) are pivotally connected at their opposite ends respectively.

near corresponding corners of the seat-frame and the seat-portion, as indicated at Z and Z,

and are adapted, in the manner of a toggle lever, to fold inward across the" seat-base.

Thus one folding connection, say B, connects the seat-portion with the seat-base near their forward corners, and the other, B, connects them near their rear corners, both connections being at the outer end of the seat, and one connection, as B, being fastened to fold in a plane farther in, or toward the car-wall,than that in which the connection B folds.

The separable seat-portion p of each seat A may have the same supporting means at its inner or wall end that is shown and described in my aforesaid former patent, or any other suitable means for the purpose, including the connections B and B already described; but the latter do not require to be shown and minutely explained in that position, as the same would be mere duplication of the illustration and description thereof herein contained.

With the connections B and B distended in supporting the seat-portions p of the seats A, in elevated, upper-berth, position, to hold them against tipping toward the car-aisle I provide a suitable retainer is (see Fig. 8) on the wall of the car for each connection, in proper location to receive it when unfolded and hold it in the Way of reinforcement. In the elevated positions of the said seat-portions, moreover, the distended connections B and B require to be braced against collaps- In converting the seats A into lower sleeping-berths, no further manipulation of; the backs is required; but for converting the ing at their joints,'for which purpose any of various means may be employed, though I show for the purpose a frame 0 hinged atone end to the outer or aisle-end of the bottom of the frame of the seat-portion and which drops on its hinge, when the seat-portion is raised, into vertical position within the confines of the distended connections B and B, and has a cross-piece t' to render the brace a ladder for use in climbing into the upper berth, and at its sides are spring-catches h (see Fig. 9) adapted to engage, automatically, the distended connections and hold the frame in place to brace them against collapsing. When the upper berths are again folded up into seats A,

the brace-frames O are released by disengaging the catches h from the sectional connections B and B,'to permit the latter to collapse and be folded across the seat-base.

As in my said former patent, the arrangement of the seats A and A causes the upper and lower berths mutually to overlap one another, since it brings the head of one lower berth and the foot of the adjacent one to meet more or'less closely below the center of an 7 From the foregoing it will be seen that my present improvements afford the following advantages over the construction described and shown in my aforesaid former patent: First, the seats have all the parts, required for the conversion, adjustably and permanently connected together by means which may be readily employed with the other features of my former construction, thereby facilitatingthe conversion and affording a more convenient construction; second, mainly as an incident of the permanent connection of the parts, the backs in their horizontal positions as extensions of the seat-portions to form the couches, are self-supporting, thereby dispensing with separate supporting means for them, such as the pendent straps in my patent; and, third, another form of extensible and folding connection between the separable seat-portions of the seats and their bases is provided, which is adapted for use with the other features in my former patented construction and with those of my present improvement.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A convertible carseat provided with backs, for its opposite sides, folding on the seat-portion and adjustable to form couch-extensions at opposite sides of the seat-portion, substantially as described.

2. A convertible car-seat provided with backs, for its opposite sides, folding on the seat-portion and adjustable to form couch-extensions at opposite sides of the seat-portion and self-supporting in their said adjusted-positions, substantially as described.

3. A convertible car-seat provided with folding backs, for its opposite sides, shiftable across the seat to told on the seat-portion with 1 the rear sides down, and adjustable to form couch-extensions at opposite sides of the seatportion, substantially as described.

4. A convertible car seat provided with backs, for its opposite sides, formed with folding sections and folding on the seat-portion and adjustable to fOIlil couch-extensions at opposite sides of the seat-portion, the outer sections of the backs being adjustable to a desired angle with relation to the inner sec-i tions, substantially as described.

5. In a convertible canseat, the combination with the base,of aseat-portion separablysupported thereon, a con nection between the seat-,; portion and base formed in sections folding; across the base and extensible upward to elevate the seat-portion into and support it in: position for an upper sleeping berth, and; means for bracing the extended connection, substantially as described. p

6. A convertible car-seat comprising, in} combination with the base, a seat-portion ha viiig a folding connection with the base, up-j wardly extensible to elevate the seat-portion; into and support it in position for an upper sleeping-berth, and backs, for the oppositei sides of the seat, folding on the seat-portion l and adjustable to form couch-extensions at opposite sides of the seat-portion, substan-l tially as described.

7. A convertible car-seatcomprising, in combination with the base,-a seat-portion havingsectional connections near its cornerswith the base near its corners, said connections folding in the direction across the base and, being upwardly extensible to elevate the seat 5 portion into and support it in position for an upper sleeping-berth, bracing-means for the extended sectional connectlons, and backs,

for the opposite sides of the seat, folding on a the seat-portion and adjustable to form couchextensions at opposite sides of the seat-portion, substantially as described. a

8. In a convertible car-seat the combination with a base '1" supporting a seatportion p, of the end-portions of the seat-frame having guides 0, backsA and A formed of adj ustable hinged sections q and q and journaled in the guides and provided with fastening means for holding them in their positions of backs at opposite sides of the seat-portion, and fastening means for the back-sections q in their adjusted positions, substantially as described.

9. In combination with a car, a seriesof alternating seats A and A con vertible, respectively, into upper and lower sleeping-berths,

1 each having a seat-portion provided with folding backs A and A for its opposite sides, shittably journaled thereon and adjustable to extend the couch portions in forming upper and lower sleeping-berths, wherein the saidextensions of the two mutually overlap each other, the-seat-portions p of the seats A being separable and connected with their bases by sectional folding connections Band B extensible upward toelevate the seat-portions into and support them in position for upper-sleeping berths, and means for bracing the extended connections, substantiallyasdescribed.

JAMES D. MORRISON. In presence of- M. J. FROST, M. E. WINN.

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