Improvements in Treads Suitable for Railway and other Carriages.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Treads Suitable for Railway and other Carriages.
I, ALEXANDER SPENCER, of 77, Cannon Street, in the City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
This invention has reference to an improved construction of tread adapted to
be fixed upon the upper surface of the foot board or step of a railway or other
carriage opposite a doorway therein so as to afford a more secure foothold than
usual for persons entering or leaving the carriage, and at the same time prevent
undue wear of the foot board or step.
The tread comprises a plate or holder of convenient length and width adapted
to be secured, as by screws, to the carriage footboard or step and formed with a
number of holes of suitable shape fitted with blocks or pieces of india rubber or
like material that extend a short distance above the surface of the plate or
holder in which they are firmly held. The holes in the plate or holder may be
of any suitable shape, for example of square, rectangular, polygonal, lozenge, or
circular shape, or some of the holes may be of one shape and others of a different
shape or shapes. The blocks of india rubber or the like that project through the
holes are of similar shape and size in plan to the holes through which they
project and may be independent of each other or be formed in one piece with or
be carried by a common backing of similar or suitable material that prevents the
blocks from becoming detached from the plate or holder and which may afford
an elastic or yielding support to such blocks. When separate blocks are used
they may be flanged at their lower inner ends so as to ensure their being firmly
retained in place.
According to one construction the holder consists of a rectangular or approxi-
mately rectangular metal plate formed with two or more rows of comparatively
large square or other suitably shaped holes and also with small holes for the
reception of screws for fastening the holder in place on a footboard or step the
lower side of the plate being dished or recessed. Through each hole projects a
block of india rubber that is of the same size and shape in plan as the hole
through which it extends, the several blocks being formed in one piece with a
block or layer of india rubber that is securely held within the recessed lower side
of the plate when the same is fixed in place on a carriage footboard or step.
The upper surface of the blocks may be channelled or otherwise formed to
increase their holding power, and their lower surface, or the lower surface of the
block or layer of material carrying them, may be recessed or otherwise shaped
to save material and increase the resiliency of the blocks.

page_text: I, ALEXANDER SPENCER, of 77, Cannon Street, in the City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement; —
This invention has reference to treads adapted to be fixed upon the upper
surface of the footboard or step of a railway or other carriage opposite a doorway
there so as to afford a more secure foothold than usual for persons entering or
leaving the carriage and at the same time to prevent undue wear of the footboard
or step.
A tread according to this invention comprises a plate or holder of convenient
length and width adapted to be secured, as by screws, to the carriage footboard
or step and formed with a number of holes of suitable shape fitted with blocks or
pieces of india rubber or like material that extend a short distance above the
surface of the plate or holder in which they are firmly held.. The holes in the
plate or holder may be of any suitable shape-they may, for example, be square,
rectangular, polygonal, lozenge-shaped, or circular or some of the holes may be
of one shape and others of a different shape or shapes. The blocks of india rubber
or the like that project through the holes are of similar shape and size in plan to
the holes through which they project, and may be independent of one another or
be formed in one piece with or be secured to a common backing of similar or other
suitable material adapted to prevent the blocks from becoming detached from the
plate or holder and, it may be, to afford an elastic or yielding support to such
blocks. When separate blocks are used they may be flanged at their lower and
inner ends so as to insure their being firmly retained in place.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings show in plan and cross section
respectively, and to different scales, an example of a tread according to this
invention applied to a railway carriage footboard.
In the example shown, the holder consists of a rectangular or approximately
rectangular metal plate 1 formed with two rows of comparatively large and
approximately square holes 2 and also with small holes for the reception of
screws 4 for fastening the holder in place on a footboard 5, the lower side of the
said plate 1 being dished or recessed. Through each hole 2 projects a block 6
of india rubber that is of the same size and shape in plan as the hole 2 through
which it extends, the several blocks being formed in one piece with a block
or layer G of india rubber that is securely held within the recessed lower side
of the plate 1 when the same is fixed in place on the footboard or step 5.
The upper surfaces of the blocks 6 may be corrugated, recessed, channelled,
or otherwise formed to increase their holding power, and their lower surfaces or
the lower surface of their common backing, may be recessed as indicated by the
dotted lines at 1' in Fig. 2. or be otherwise shaped to save material, or to increase
the resiliency of the blocks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. A railway or other carriage footboard or step tread comprising a holder
adapted to be secured to a railway or other carriage footboard or step and formed
with a number of holes fitted with blocks or pieces of india rubber or like
material that are firmly held in the holder and extend a short distance above the
surface thereof, whether or not the said blocks or pieces be provided with a

page_text: common backing or be flanged at their lower and inner ends, substantially as
described.
2. A railway or other carriage footboard or step tread constructed and arranged
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of March 1900.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.
Chartered Patent Agent.