AN IMPROVED METHOD OF FORMING THE SURFACES OF CARRIAGE AND OTHER STEPS, PLATFORMS, AND THE LIKE, FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ON THE SAME
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the International Patent
Office, Southampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF FORMING THE SURFACES OF
CARRIAGE AND OTHER STEPS, PLATFORMS, AND THE LIKE, FOR PREVENTING
ACCIDENTS ON THE SAME."-A communication from abroad by George
Augustus Keene, of Lynn, and Francis Asbury Sawyer, of Boston,
both in Massachusetts. United States of America. Gentlemen.
5
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Georgo Haseltine, at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 25th February 1875, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton Build-
ings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF FORMING THE SURFACES OF CARRIAGE AND OTHER STEPS, PLATFORMS,

page_text: AND THE LIKE, FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ON THE SAME," and have petitioned
Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn
Declaration that it has been communicated to me from abroad by
George Augustus Keene, of Lynn, and Francis Asbury Sawyer, of Boston,
both in Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentlemen.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing
forming a part of this Specification:-
This Invention has for its object the prevention of accidents in getting
into and out of railway and other carriages, waggons, vans, and the like,
in ascending or descending steps and stairs, and in walking on platforms
exposed to icc, snow, and mud; it consists,―
First. In plating the part to be stepped on with a surface of india-
rubber presenting upward knobs or projections from a surface of less
height, and more or less irregularity depressed below the knobbed portions,
while all the depressed portions of the surface communicate freely with
the depressed portions at or near the edges of the plating.
Secondly. In the means and arrangements adopted preparatory to
applying this plating to the steps, stairs, or platform to be covered and
protected.
And, Thirdly. In the details and peculiarities of application in the
various places where used.
'
The Drawing represents various sorts of steps.
Figure 1 is a step, such as I apply to steam and horse railway
carriages, to stairs and outside steps. It is a plain rubber surface covered
with upwardly projecting domes or knobs like that shown at c; along
the front edge a is a series of larger and longer projections 6 to take
the tread of ascending persons. It will be observed that in this as in all
the following illustrations whatever dirt is collected on the rubber
surface may be swept to the edge readily, the intervals between the
upward projections being connected with each other and continued to
the edge. Either of the surfaces represented may be used on any of

page_text: the steps, but in some respects neatness admonishes me to preserve the
designs shown for the purposes shown. The rubber in each of the steps.
shown has different thicknesses under the foot. The small upward
projecting knobs or pyramids or ridges when the step is covered with
snow, ice, sleet, or mud, readily yield to the weight of the body, and by
their resiliency break up the mud, ice, sleet, or snow, so that it cannot
adhere and can be readily removed. This compressibility, resiliency,
and roughness of surface prevent slipping also. These differences in
thickness must be in the vicinity of a quarter of an inch; rubber carpet
will not answer the purpose. Each shield whether for railway carriage,
van, stair, carriage, or other purpose-must be made on a firm foundation'
insusceptible of motion, and vulcanized over its edges; zinc, iron, or brass
plates, strong canvass, or the like, enclosed in the rubber or forming its
backing is required to furnish the necessary hold for the nails or bolts
used to fasten the plating in place.
Figure 2 represents a plating also vulcanized over a narrow plate of
iron, such as I use for treads on stairs and for the shafts of vehicles.
It has a beaded surface, the front edge d, d, presenting a head to receive
the wear as above described, and the plate being fastened down by screws
or bolts passing through the countersunk holes e, c.
Figure 3 is the plating for the hook step of a landau, barouche,
clarence, or other carriage. It is furnished with an internal plate as
before described, and is fastened down by ledges on the sides which rest
upon its edges. The surface is covered with pyramids crowned with
domes, as shown at g, g.
Figure 4 is a step for a locomotive engine. It fits into a stirrup of
similar shape and is held down by bolts passing through holes e; its.
surface is a congeries of simple pyramids.
Figures 5 to 10 inclusive represent the arrangements for fitting shank
steps to driving carriages.
Figure 5 illustrates the surface of a round step. It has an extra heavy
bead on the edge, and a series of beads separated by channels i
arranged concentrically upon the upper surface. A series of radial or
substantially radial channels i connect the concentric channels with the
edge and serve to clean the step. This rubber surface may be formed
on a circular plate of sheet iron and rivetted or bolted to the ordinary

page_text: iron step; but a far better way of making it is shown in Figures 9
and 10, which will be presently explained.
Figure 6 shews the surface of a square step. It is covered by diagonal
ridges and channels i, is chamfered all round at the edge, and at the
four corners the rubber is formed up to the height of the ridges as at k.
This is formed over a plate as before described, and as there is sub-
stantially no difference between the plates used for the round and square
steps, Figures 7, 9, and 10 illustrate their construction. In these m is
the plate of cast iron or brass or other suitable material; it is com-
paratively thin at the edges and middle, but is strengthened by diagonel
or radial ribs, Figures 7 and 10, and by a scolloped border r, r, r,
Figure 7, set back from the lower edge of the plate. The said plate is
pierced with holes as at q over the line of the edge of this border, and
the said border is scolloped out under these holes. On laying a plate of
rubber stock on this plate, and placing it in the moulds and compressing
it, the rubber is forced through the holes and flows over the edges, as
shown in Figure 9, and thus is rivetted when vulcanized securely to the
plate p; Figure 9 showing how this is donc, this Figure being a section
of the round step. A screw stud / projects downward from the plate m,
and is made square or hexagonal or the like near the plate, and the
shank 8 is made with an eye on the end and shaped to fit the stud, but
so that the step may not turn, and the whole is fastened by a nut n or
its equivalent. With this class of steps the shanks in a short length is
always furnished, which may be shaped in a die and welded to the ordinary
step shank or shaped to attach to a carriage. In all the steps thus far
shown the rubber edge projects beyond the edge of the plate.
Figure 8 shews the upper surface of a plate in which the rubber edge
is supported by the iron plate. It may be made in two parts, one
lapping upon the other, but is preferably in but one piece. In this
Drawing t is a thin projecting edge extending back as far as the line n all
round; at n there is a rise of about the thickness of the edge t, and over
this rise and over part of the projection t extend the scollops forming
the edge of the plane surface v. To the centre of this plate the stud
of Figures 7, 9, 10, may be fixed; or a common bolt with a taper square
head may pass through the central taper hole m. This plate of Figure 8
may be made of any metal which can be worked after casting by
casting the projecting teeth on the edge of v vertical to its plane and
then bending them to their level. The rubber when applied to this plate is

page_text: put in a mould fitting tightly the border of t, and is rivetted under the
projecting teeth or scollops on the edge of by compression and vul-
canizing.
The proper rubber stock for this work is stock containing a portion of
old stock, say the stock of mixed packing, and it is to be vulcanized
lightly, say at sixty pounds of steam for fifteen minutes; it should be
vulcanized in moulds under pressure.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim, the characteristic surfaces, the
arrangement of reinforcements along the exposed edges and corners, the
combination of the foundation plate fastened or riveted by compression,
vulcanization, and the conformation of plate to plate, the peculiar
foundation plates or their equivalents, the arrangement and combina-
tion of the step and shank, and the detachable combination of step
and shank, whereby the shank may be heated and welded without
injuring the pad, all as herein described.
i
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)
Witness,
HY. JA. NOONE.