IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFEGUARDS FOR SLEEPING BERTHS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jasper Wetter, of the Firm of Herbert and Company,
Solicitors of Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFEGUARDS FOR SLEEPING
BERTHS." A communication from abroad by Eleanor A. McMann, of
Cleveland, State of Ohio, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jasper Wetter at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th August 1880.
"
JASPER WETTER, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of Patents,
of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN
SAFEGUARDS FOR SLEEPING BERTHS." A communication from abroad by Eleanor
A. MoMann, of Cleveland, State of Ohio, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to provide a safeguard against the liability of
persons being thrown out or rolling out of the upper berths of cars or steamboats,
and to prevent the berths from closing up and shutting the occupant in in case of
accident.
The Invention consists in the combination with a sleeping berth for railway cars
or steamboats of a safeguard (preferably made of rods or tubes joined together into
a frame) hinged to sliding blocks playing on stationary rods, whereby said guard
may be slid into a packet in the framework of the berth when not required for use,
or drawn out and turned upright when required, and latched to adjustable posts or
supports.
It is preferred to arrang the device symmetrically so as to have a hinge, a
sliding block, a stationary rod, and a post on each side of the guard. The front
board of the berth may be provided with a narrow longitudinal opening through
which the guard is made to slide when not used.
The adjustable posts may be attached to the inside of the front board and slotted
at their lower ends, so that they can be raised up the length of the slot or turned
down inside of the framework of the berth when not used.
For latching the upper bar of the guard to the upper ends of the posts the said
bar may be made hollow to receive spring bolts, which can be made to interlock
with the upper ends of the posts by actuating two knobs, or a knob with rack and
pinion, or any other suitable device.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Jasper Wetter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th February
1881.
JASPER WETTER, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of Patents,
of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SAFEGUARDS FOR SLEEPING BERTHS." A communication from abroad by Eleanor
A. McMann, of Cleveland, State of Ohio, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to provide a safeguard against the liability of
persons being thrown out or rolling out of the upper berths of cars or steamboats,
and to prevent the berths from closing up and shutting the occupant in in case of
accident.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 is a top or plan view; Figure 2 is a
front elevation; Figure 3 is a transverse section.
The nature of the Invention will fully appear from the subjoined description,
when considered with reference to the accompanying Drawings making part of
this Specification.
A represents the front board of the berth, and is provided with a narrow
opening a, through which the guard is made to slide when not wanted for use;
B, B, are two posts attached to the front A on the inside and at the corners of the
frame work of the berth. They are made so that they can be turned down inside
of the frame work of the berth when not required for use, being attached to a
plate 6 secured on the inside of the front A by means of a slot c made in their
lower part in such a manner that said posts may be raised up the length of the
slot, and then they may be turned down, as represented in Figures 1 and 3.
When the posts stand upright they are firm and rigid, and are intended to support
the guard when in its upright position.
The guard C consists of a suitable railing made of metal tubing, so that it may
be light, the end posts extending downward from the upper edge of the front A. to
the slot a. Said posts are hinged at their lower ends to sliding blocks D, D,
which slide upon permanent rods d, d, secured near the bottom.
The upper rail
of the guard is provided with a latching device consisting of two long spring
bolts e, e, playing inside the top tube of the guard frame, having at the central
part an opening or slot for knob f, which is attached to the inner ends of the said
bolts. This latch device is to be operated by the occupant of the berth. The berth
is supplied with a double bottom, the said guard sliding in the space between them
as in a pocket.
The operation of this device, as will appear, is that when the berth has been made
up ready for the occupant, and the occupant is in, the guard may be drawn out to
the limit of the stop on the sliding blocks D, and turned upward, standing against
the front A, and may be latched to the posts B, B, which have been previously
erected.
In the little detached view is represented a latching device consisting of a small
pinion operated by a knob and acting with racks made on the inner ends of the
spring bolts for operating them. This may be employed instead of the two small
knobs f, f, for operating the bolts.
Having described this Invention I claim,―
The combination, with a sleeping berth for railway cars or steamboats, of the
safeguard C hinged to sliding blocks D, playing on the permanent rods d, whereby

page_text: said guard may be slid into a pocket a in the framework of the berth when not
required for use, or drawn out and turned upright when required, and latched to
adjustable post B, B, as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jasper Wetter, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of February, A.D. 1881.
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