IMPROVE. MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND FITTING OF RAILWAY CARRIAGE DOORS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Wallis at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd August 1882.
JOHN WALLIS of 30 King Street Cheapside in the City of London. "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND FITTING OF RAILWAY CARRIAGE DOORS."
This invention relates to improved doors and door fittings for railway carriages
the principal objects in view being to prevent the noise and shock resulting from
the slamming to of the doors; to prevent injury to the fingers of passengers by the
accidental closing upon them of the doors and to exclude wind, dust and rain.
In applying my invention to railway carriage doors of the ordinary kind I form
the unhinged side of the door with a considerable bevel or rebate on its inner angle
and I secure to the corresponding vertical jamb of the door by means of strips of
metal or wood, or by equivalent means, a suitably grooved strip or block of rubber
the projecting edge or surface of which will form a noiseless and airtight joint and
abutment for the door to close against The strip of rubber may be conveniently
of L shape in cross section, the upper end serving to receive the thrust of the
closed door without noise or shock; and the lateral projection forming the air-tight
joint, and also partially receiving and supporting the thrust of the door. The top
and bottom of the door are also fitted with strips or blocks of rubber of appropriate
section, and these assist in entirely preventing noise and shock when the door is
slammed to, while at the same time forming.an air-tight joint. The hinged side of
the door, as also the corresponding jamb of the door are each made with a deep
rebate or groove on the inner angle, and into the vertical channel or groove thus
formed a semi cylindrical strip of rubber or leather is inserted and attached along
its vertical edges to the edges of the jamb and the door respectively, so that the
angle between the jamb and door will be completely shut off from the inside
of the carriage by a semi-elastic substance by which dust and draught will be
entirely excluded while it will be impossible for a passenger to get his fingers nipped
in the hinge should he accidentally place them between the door and the jamb.
The strip of rubber or leather will be practically out of sight and unobstrusive
and will serve as a retaining strap for the door when swung open. In its closed
position this rubber strip will be doubled into a U shape, the hollow centre allowing
the walls thereof to readily yield to any unusual pressure

page_text: In some cases the strip of leather or rubber may be placed over the hinge of the
door on the inside of the carriage, and attached to the inner surface of the door and
its jamb by any suitable means, and although less sightly in appearance, its practical
efficacy will be the same.
By constructing and fitting railway carriage doors as above described the
intolerable noise and shock resulting from the doors being violently slammed to
will be entirely obviated, and there will be little or no risk of injury to the fingers
by crushing them should they be inadvertently placed in the way of the door.
The laterally projecting edge of the rubber strip or block above referred to will
prevent injury to the fingers on the unhinged side of the door, and draught and
dust will be excluded all round. In place of the L shaped block above referred to
I may employ a solid block of rubber joined to or combined with a tubular or
semi-cylindrical piece, the former serving to receive the thrust of the door and the
latter yielding easily to any foreign body of small size, while under normal
conditions forming an air-tight joint with the bevelled or rebated edge of the door.