US89539A

US89539A - Improvement in lighting railway-cars

Info

Publication number: US89539A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1869-04-27
Anticipated expiration: 1886-04-27

Description

A. LONGSTREET.

Railway Car.

Patented. April 27, 1869.

WZZIZGSSQS) UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

AARON LONGSTREET, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE M. PULLMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIGHTING RAILWAY CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 89,539, dated April 27, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON LONGSTREET,

. my improvements as applied to a sleeping-car,

the slide of the lamp being open. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of my improvements as applied to a day-car, the slide of the lamp being closed. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section through the center of the lamp and recess.

One of the most unpleasant features of railroad travel results from the imperfect modesin which passenger-cars are lighted, whereby the passengers are compelled to ride long distances after dark without being able to read, work, or amuse themselves with games. The lamps are placed either in the center of the car or upon the sides, and in both cases they are lo cated near the roof, and at long intervals.

-My improvements consist in locating the lights a little way above the level of the sills,

or at about the height of the backs of the seats; also, in providing a light for each sec tion in a sleeping-car, or for each seat in a day-car; and also in the devices employed to accomplish the foregoing purposes without danger to the car or passengers.

A represents a lamp, which may be a candle or gas burner or lamp of any form, located in arecess, D, in the panel between two adjacent windows, and below the tops of the frames. During the daytime this recess is closed by a sliding panel, B, which may be a looking-glass or a plain or ornamental panel of wood or metal. Between this sliding door and the lamp a plate, 0, of glass or isinglass may be interposed, though this is not absolutely necessary. Air is admitted through an opening below the glass plate.

In a sleeping-car, whether transverse or 1011- gitudinal seats were employed, one of these lamps or lights would be placed between the windows in each section, while in a day-car it might be desirable to place onelof them in each panel.

The recess may be made much more shallow than it is shown in the drawing; and, instead of the sliding panel,,a hinged door may be employed, and both the door and panel may be made in the form of a hemisphere orjbullseye, so as to project to some extent into the car. The position of the lamp in the panel may also vary somewhat, provided it be located so far below the top of the window-frame as to afford to passengers in the adjoining seats a convenient and suflicient light for reading, sewing, or gaming.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,.is

1. The lamp A, in combination with the recess D in the panel of railway-oar, substantially as described.

2. The lamp A, in combination with the recess D and sliding panel B, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination, with each seat or pair of seats in a railway-car, of a lamp, candle, or burner, located between the windows, substantiall y as described.

AARON LONGSTREET.

Witnesses:

M. BvPHILIPP, CHAS. W. ANGELL.