USRE6648E - Improvement in sleeping-cars - Google Patents

Description

B. FIELD G. M. PULLMAN.

Sleeping-Car. N0. 6,648. RessuedSept.21,1875.

2 Sheets--Sheet B. FIEL D & G. M. PU LL MA N. Sleeping-Gar. No. 6,648.

Reissued Sept. 2l, |875.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

BEN FIELD,l OF ALBION, NEWIYORYK, AND GEORGE M. PULLMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISASSIGNOES, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To GE'OEGE M. PULLMAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN SLEEPING-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,992, dated September 19,1865; reissue No. 2,862, dated February 11, 1868; reissue N 3,254, dated January 5, 1869; reissue No. 6,648, dated September 2l, 1875 application filed July 27, 1875.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known thaft BEN FIELD, formerly of Albion, in the county lof 4Orleans and State of New York, and GEORGE M. PULLMAN, ot' Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, did invent certain new and useful Improveme ts in Sleeping-Gars for Railways, for which Le ters Patent were granted September 19, 1865, and reissued February l1, 1868, and again reissued January 5,1869, which said invention, with the Letters Patent intended to-secnre the same,have, by assignments dated i September 23, 1867, and October 24, 1868, n ow become the exclusive property of me, the said GEORGE M. PULLMAN, as assignee of the said FIELD and PULLMAN; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exiv act description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the interior of a portion of a sleeping-car, representing one set of berths on each side of the car, one side being shown as arranged for day use, and the other for night use. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of one of the seats of the car as adj usted for day use. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of one of the seats, as adjusted for forming a sleeping-couch.

The invention relates to the mode of arranging and supporting the upper berths of a sleepin g-car 5 to the mode of forming the partitions between the sections, so that they may be put up and taken down with facility, thus dividing the car into private compartments at night, and yet leaving the space above the seats Openfor the circulation of air in the daytime; and to the construction and arrangement of the seats with view to their ready conversion into couches, and vice versa.

In carrying out the invention, the car on each side of the central passage-way is divided up into sections. Each of these sections isprovided with two berths or couches-an upper one attached-longitudinally byits outer side to the Wall of the car, and a lower one formed out of the seat backs and bottoms. The outer' side of the upper berth is connected with the wall or side of the car in such' manner that the berth may be thrown up from the horizontal position which it occupies` axis ofmotion upon which itturns as it is moved from the horizontal to the upright position.

The frame of this upper berth iucloses the mattress and bedding. It is shown in the drawing as consisting of a box or tray with sides, ends, and bottom, capable of containing a mattress wholly inclosed within it, and this box or tray is attached by its upper edge. Bythus locating the hinges, .the berth is made to occupy a lower position when horizontal than if the hinges were at the lower edge of that same side of the box, and, consequently, the berth is so connected with the wall of the car as to be more o ut of the Away when turned more vertical space below it for the windows. Furthermore,- the vacant space which would otherwise existbetween the sideof the box and the wall yot' the car is avoided. The back of the box should be made inclined or shelving, as shown in the drawing, so as to farnish still more room underneath when the berth is in its upright or dayposition.

For supporting the berth in its horizontal position, suspending devices are used, the weight of the berth, other than what is sustained directly by the wall of the car, or incidentally by the counter-weights hereinafter mentioned, being borne by these suspending devices which are attach ed to the car at points above the horizontal plane of the berth.'

By thus supporting the berth, through the medium of suspending devices sustaining it from above, these devices can be so constructed as to be moved ont ot'- the way when the berth is turned up. In this respect the con- -struction differs materially from that i-n which the berth is supported from below by cleats or bolts attached to or entering permanent partitions arranged between the sections.

The preferred form of suspending devices is that shown in the drawing-viz, two jointto the-side of' the ear up, thus leaving,

ed metallic straps pivoted to the berth, one

at each end near its inner front corner, the

upper ends of .the straps being pivoted near the. upper corner of the car. The joint in these Suspenders enables them to fold together behind the berth and out of the way and out .of sight when the berth is turned up.

By the employment of counter-balances the' handling of the berth is facilitated, the berth, when counterbalanced, being more easily raised to its day-position, and lowered to its position at night with less shock and strain. Counter-balances are also -uset'ul to prevent the berth from falling down if the spring-catch relied upon to hold it up in its day position breaks or becomes disengaged. p

In the drawing the berth is shown as counterbalanced by weights which, in order to steady them, are made to move up and down -on vertical rods, and which are connected with the front part of the berth lby means of cords working over properly-located pulleys. These weights upon either side of the car may be inclosed in a closet in the center of the car, with wire-rope or other cords leading over suitable pulleys to each berth. j

In applying the invention the parts may be so constructed that in turning the upper berths up upon their hinges to get them out of the way of the heads ot' the passengers they may be raised up into a vertical position, di-

rectly against the wall of the car, or they may be so made as to occupy an inclined position when turned up, asshown in the drawing.

Parting-strips, stationary, and of such size and shape as may be requiredv bythe degree of inclination to be given to the berths, project inward from the upper part of the wall .of the car, which, with the roof and sides of the car, i'orm .recesses into which the berths shut. These parting-strips, which thus aid in forming the recesses that receive the upturned berths, donot extend far enough into the car to interfere with the free circulation of the air through the car by day, as would necessarily be the case with permanent partitions extending from the roof of the car down to the seats.

The difference between these recesses thus formed against the side of the car, at the upper part thereof, and recesses formed wholly in the root' ofthe car'is that with the latter the berth must be raised up bodily in changing it from its night to lits day position, the entire weight of the berth being lifted up several feet into the roof, while with the former the berth may be simply turned upinto its recess, moving upon a fixed axis of motion, and occnpyin g at last substantially au upright rather than a horizontal position.

Portions of the bed-clothing, aecordingto the size ofthe space inclosed by' each upturned berth, may be stowed away in the daytime in the recess behind such berth. The front side of the berth shuts tightly against the root` of the car, thus forming with the recess a close closet, inwhich the bedding placed over the space between the two seats ofthe therein will'be protected from dust and cinders, and wholly concealed from observation. The backs of the seat-frames are provided with'movable-parts or sections, capable of be` ing raised and lowered at will, and extending substantially fromthe aisleto the wall of the car. These movable sections, when placed in position for night use, constitute an upward extension of the short backs of the seat-frames, and complete the partitions between the adjoining lowercouches. The drawing represents these movable sections as consisting of sliding panels moving vertically up and down' in ways or recesses forme-d in' the seat-backs. When drawn up they extend to the bottom of the upper berths, and are held in place by suitable spring-catches. A single movable partition between each twov adjoining upper berths, the same serving as a head-board to the one berth, and a foot-board to the other, is used in dividing the upper part of the car into compartments at night, such partition heilig separate from, and therefore adjustable independently of, the berths. B v using for this purpose a movable piece that can be taken out of the way in the daytime the upper part of the ear is left unobstructed when arranged for day use. and by employing for this purpose a partition in one piece and detached from the berths, there result greater convenience and simplicity of construction than exists in those structures in which the partition is composed of more pieces than one, each separately' adjustable, or those in which the partitionsare permanently attached to the berths, so as to be taken down and set up with them. This movable partition between the upper berths is shown in the drawing as a piece which is slipped in from the aisle as the berths are made up, and it rests upon the tot) of the vertically-sliding panel that completes the partition between the corresponding lower couches. The seats are arranged transversely and in pairs, facing each other, as shown, and at a sufficient distance apart to givel length for a berth between the backs of the frames when the back cushions have been removed. n The back-cushion an'd the seatcushion of each chair are made separate from the bottom and the back of the seat-frame, and are hinged together at the two edges where they meet. Whenthe lower couch has to be made up for sleeping, the two seat-cushions of thesection are drawn forward until vthey meet, the backcushions being at the same time drawn away from their upright supports and falling down into a horizontal position upon the seat-fram es. The inner ends of the seat-cushions when thus drawn out are supported by a bar, whichturns on a hinge from one of theseats, and .bridges section, while the outer ends of these cushions rest upon a cleat or ledge upon the side ofthe car.

By making the seat and back cushions detached from the frames upon and against' which they rest, as described, and hinging sans t 3 them together at the edges where they meet, considerable facility of manipulation is gained, as compared with those constructions in which the seat-cushions are permanently7 attached to the 'frame below it, or in which theseat-cushion and the back-cushion are either entirely disconnected or are connected by a lilik pivotrd to each rather than by a simple hinge. A Referring to the drawing, the diterent parts hereinbefore spoken of are represented by letters, as follows: A is an upper berth; B, one of the hinges, by which it is connected with the wall of the car; C C, the jointed metallic Suspenders for supporting the front part ot' the berth; D D, weights for counterbalancng the berth, running on the rods L to steady them, and connected with the berth by cords E E. F F are the hinges, by which the seatcushions G are connected with the back-cushions. 9H is the pivoted bar, upon which the inner ends of the seat-cushions rest when drawnforward in making up the sleeping-couch. I is the movable piece, (here shown as a vertically-sliding panel supported in its elevated position b v the spring-catches K,) which, together with the back ot' the seat-frame, constitutes the partition between the lower couches. J is the movable head-board between the upper berths, andM are the partingstrips` which, in connection with the Wall andY the root', form the recess, which receives the berth when turned up.

That is claimed as new is- 1. In combination with the upper berth, one side ot' which is connected with the wall of the car, suspending devices for support-ing the front part of such berth, and capable of heilig moved out of the way in the day-time, the parts being constructed so that the berth may be turned up from a horizontal to substantially an'upright position, and `the suspending devices moved out of the way and concealed, and vice versa, substantially as described.

2. .ln combination with an upper berth, the back side of wh'ich is connected with the'wall of the car, a counter-balance connected Vwith the front part of such berth, to facilitate the handlingof the same and` aid in sustaining it when raised, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with the upper berth, a lrecess formed against the side of the car, the parts beingso constructed that the berth may occupy a horizontal position et night, and be turned up into such recess-by day, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the stationary back of the seat-iran1e,amovable piece, which, when placed in position for night use, extends sub stantially from the aisle to'the wall of the car, and operates to complete the partition between the adjoininglower berths, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with two adjoining upper berths, but separate therefrom, a movable partition in one piece, which, when placed inf position for night use, serves as the head-board of the one berth and the foot-board of the other, and which can be moved away from between the sections, so as to leave the upper part of the car clear by day, described.

6. A box or trayadapted to contain a mattress, and connected with the wall of the car at the upper edge of 'one of its sides, substantially as set forth, whereby it can be made to occupy a lower position at -night and leave more room under it by day than if otherwise constructedV and supported.

7. An upper berth, having its outer orvwall side made inclinedvor sloping, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The construction and arrangement ot' a carseat, with the /back and 'seatA cushions hinged together and disconnected from the seat-frame, so that the back-cushion may be placed horizontallyon the seat-frame, andthe seat-cushion extended to meet the seat-cushion of the opposite seat, substantially as described.

GEO. M. PULLMAN.

Witnesses:

' S. W. BRETZFIELD,

HORACE PORTER.

substantially as Y

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