Improvements in and relating to Steps and Platform Guards for Tram and Railway Cars, applicable also to Ships' Ladders.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application 28th July, 1896-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE STUITIVATION.
Improvements in and relating to Steps and Platform Guards for
Tram and Railway Cars, applicable also to Ships' Ladders.
I, DWIGHT ROWELL WING, a citizen of the United States of America, residing
at 619 East Fifth Street, in the City of Little Rock, County of Pulaski and
State of Arkansas, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in car steps, and
it has for its object the production of a sliding or rolling step which when not in
use can be quickly and readily raised so as to forin a platform guard, whereby
passengers are prevented from jumping on or off the car while in motion, and the
annoyance of small boys catching on and holding to the gate is obviated, thus
reducing liability of accident to a minimum.
In carrying out my invention I form grooved channels or guide-ways on each
end of the car, so curved as to form the proper shape or contour for the step and
gate, a series of tubes or slats, flexibly connected together, being adapted to travel
in said channels or guide-ways. When in their normally lowered position said
tubes or slats will form a car step, and when in their normally raised position they
form a platform guard, the flexible connections for said tubes or slats allowing the
latter to readily conform to the curvature of the channels or guide-ways.
The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in
the claims.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a view in perspective illustrating a portion of a car with my
invention applied thereto, the tubes or slats being shown in their normally lowered
position.
Figure 2 is a side view showing the tubes or slats in their normally raised
position.
Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line -a, Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a modification.
Figure 5 is a detail.
Referring to the drawings, A designates a car of any preferred construction,
having the usual platform a and dash-board at.
B, B', are grooved channels or guide-ways, located opposite each other and
secured respectively, one to the car body and the other to the inside of the dash-
board. These guide-ways consist each of an upper perpendicular portion b, which
is bent or curved at its lower end to form a horizontal portion 63 at the level
desired for the car step. Each channel or guide-way is then curved at 6* to form
the perpendicular portion 6. Said guide-ways are closed at their lower ends b³ to
form stops for limiting the downward movement of the step. Brace rods c serve
to strengthen the perpendicular portions b*.
D designates the combined step and gate which consists essentially in a flexible
member which is adapted to move in channels or guide-ways B, B1, and conform to

page_text: the curvature thereof. Said flexible member is made up of a series of tubes or
slats d, of any preferred material, which are united at their ends by a flexible cord
or belt d' whereby said tubes or slats are allowed to have limited play with relation
to each other. The downward movement of the flexible member is limited by the
closed portions 6 and when in its normally lowered position the top tube or slat d
of said flexible member is on a level with the platform. When in its normally
raised position the top tube or slat is engaged by a spring clasp d' secured in the
upper portion of the guide-ways, or the clasp may be dispensed with and the top
tube or slat may hang over the tops of said channels or guide-ways. When in this
position the lowermost tube or slat is flush with the platform.
The operation is obvious. When it is desired to use my invention as a car step,
the flexible member is lowered, conforming to the shape of the lower curved
portions of the channels or guide-ways. When the car is set in motion it is only
necessary to raise said flexible member until the same engages the spring clasp, to
obtain an efficient gate or guard.
It will be observed that my improved car step is extremely simple and inexpensive
in construction and is not liable to readily get out of order or become deranged.
In Figure 4 I bave shown a modified form of my invention, the same being used
as a movable gangway for the sides of ships when in port instead of the clumsy
and dangerous rope ladders now in general use for the same purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein-described combined car step and platform guard, comprising
channels or guide-ways, and a flexible member adapted to slide in said channels or
guide-ways, substantially as set forth.
2. The herein-described combined car step and platform guard, comprising
channels or guide-ways curved at their lower ends to conform to the contour of a
car step, and a flexible member adapted to slide in said channels or guide-ways and
conform to the curvature thereof, as set forth.
3. The herein-described combined car step and platform guard, comprising
channels or guide-ways curved at their lower ends to conform to the contour of a
car step, a flexible member adapted to slide in said channels or guide-ways and
conform to the curvature thereof, and means for limiting the downward movement
of said flexible member, substantially as set forth.
4. The herein-described combined car step and platform guard, comprising
channels or guide-ways curved at their lower ends to conform the contour of a
car step, a flexible member adapted to slide in said channels or guide-ways and
conform to the curvature thereof, and means for holding said member in an
elevated position, substantially as set forth.
5. The herein-described combined car step and platform guard, comprising
channels or guide-ways curved at their lower ends to conform to the contour of a
car step and closed at their lower ends, a flexible member adapted to slide in said
channels or guide-ways and conform to the curvature thereof, and spring retaining
devices in the upper ends of said channels or guide-ways adapted to hold said.
flexible member in an elevated position, substantially as set forth.
6. The heroin-described combined car step and platform guard, comprising
channels or guide-ways curved at their lower ends to conform to the contour of a
car step and closed at their lower ends, tubes or slats flexibly connected together
and adapted to slide in said channels or guide-ways and conform to the curvature
thereof, and spring retaining devices in the upper ends of said channels or guide-
ways adapted to hold said tubes or slats in an elevated position, substantially as
set forth.
7. The herein-described combined car step and platform guard, comprising
channels or guide-ways curved at their lower ends to conform to the contour of a

page_text: car step and closed at their lower ends, tubes or slats adapted to slide in said
channels or guide-ways, a flexible cord or belt connecting said tubes or slate, and
spring retaining devices in the upper ends of said channels or guide-ways adapted
to hold said tubes or slats in an elevated position, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 28th day of July 1896.
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.