Improvements in Extensible Railway Carriage Steps.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Jan., 1890-Accepted 1st Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Extensible Railway Carriage Steps.
We, JAMES FRANKLIN WOOD, and JOHN FRANKLIN WOOD, both of No. 114, Orange
Street, Wilmington, in the County of New Castle, and State of Delaware, United
States of America, Furnaces and Stoves and Metal Workers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an extensible step more particularly. designed for railway
carriages in which entrance is gained to the 'carriage from the ends thereof; the
object being to facilitate entrance to, and exit from, the carriage when the train
draws up to a low platform or when there is no platform at all.
Our Invention consists essentially of a step mounted to slide in ways that are
secured to the under side of the permanent carriage-steps, the extensible 'step
being normally held in position just beneath the lower permanent step but being
arranged so that it may be extended so as to form a continuation of the permanent
steps.
The auxiliary steps consist of a tread and an inclined plate made in one therewith,
said plate being received in guides in cheeks attached to the permanent steps. The
plate of the extensible step are provided with friction rollers fitted in the guides,
and to its under face is attached an arm which carries a piston fitting in a
cylinder which is connected by a tube with the compressed air reservoir of the
brake. A spring is confined between the end of the piston and the head of the
cylinder.
By this arrangement, when pressure is on (which is the case when the carriages
are running) the auxiliary tread is held in the raised position, but when the pressure
is thrown off in order that the brakes may be applied, the springs force the auxiliary
steps down.
When the pressure is again applied the steps are returned to their
original position.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Extensible Railway Carriage Steps.
We, JAMES FRANKLIN WOOD and JOHN FRANKLIN WOOD, both of No. 114, Orange
Street, Wilmington, in the County of New Castle, and State of Delaware, United
States of America, Furnaces and Stoves and Metal Workers, 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 relates to an extensible step more particularly designed for railway
carriages, or cars such as the Pullman, in which entrance is gained from the ends
thereof; the object being to facilitate entrance to, and exit from, the carriage when
the train draws up to a low platform, or when there is no platform at all. The
ordinary form of car-step is placed so high above the level of the road that it is
extremely difficult for aged or infirm persons to enter the cars and consequently there
are frequently provided portable steps or stools, which are placed at the side of the
road, to enable passengers to reach the car-steps proper. It is to obviate the necessity
of this portable step that we have designed the extensible step forming the subject
matter of this Invention; our invention consisting essentially of a step mounted to

page_text: slide in ways that are secured to the under side of the permanent car stops, the
extensible stop being normally held in position just beneath the lower permanent
car step but being arranged so that by proper manipulation the steps may be
extended downwards so as to form a continuation of the permanent steps.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifica-
tion in which figure 1 is an end view of a car representing the same as it appears when
provided with our improved extensible step, one of the step connections being shewn
in section. Figure 2 is a side view of a car, a modified construction being shewn
in this case, and figure 3 is a view of the end of the car shewn in figure 2, parts being
shewn in section. Similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the views.
Referring now to the construction shewn in figure 1, 10 represents a car platform
and 11 and 11" the casings of the permanent steps arranged in connection with said
platform. To the casings 11 and 11* we secure side cheeks 12 formed with ways 13
which serve as guides for an inclined plate 14 that is rigidly connected to a tread 15;
the friction incident to the movement of the plate 14 within these ways 13 being
decreased by anti-friction rollers 16 carried by the plate and arranged as best shewn
upon the left in figure 1. To the rear under face of the plate 14 we secure an
arm 17 which carries a piston 18 fitting in a cylinder 19. The cylinder 19 is con-
nected by means of a tube 21 with the compressed air reservoir A of the air brake
system. 20 is a spring confined between the piston and the head of the cylinder 19.
By this arrangement, when pressure is on (which is the case when the cars are
running) the auxiliary treads. 15 will be held in the position in which they are shown
in the figure of the drawing now under consideration, but when the pressure is thrown
off in order that the brakes may be applied, the springs 2 will be free to act to force
the steps to their lower position, as inlicated by dotted lines in figure 3. When the
pressure is again applied, the steps will be returned to the position in which they are
shewn in figure 1.
From the construction above described, it will be seen that, as the train approaches
the station and the brakes are applied, the treads 15 will move downwards so that
they will facilitate the exit of passengers from, or the entrance of passengers to, the
cars.
In figures 2 and 3 we illustrate a construction wherein sockets 30 are connected to
the casings or frames 11 and 11* which serve as supports for the main treads of the
car steps, these sockets serving as guides for rods 31 that are bent outwards near
their lower ends to support extensible treads 32. To these treads 32 we connect
stems 33 which carry pistons 34, said pistons fitting in cylinders 35 that are connected
by a pipe 36 with the reservoir, a three-way cock 37 being arranged as shewn. The
treads 32 are normally held in the position in which they are shewn in full lines in
figure 3 by springs 40 that are located as shewn upon the left in figure 3. In this way
we provide for the normal upholding of the treads 32 and prevent any accidental
lowering thereof but by turning the three-way cock air will be admitted to the
cylinder and the treads will be lowered against the tension of their supporting
springs.
Under certain circumstances, it might be desirable that the treads be held up at
times when the brakes are applied which can be accomplished by operating the con-
trolling valve. In fact the guard or conductor can lower the steps of any particular
set of treads at will. If desired, the cylinders could be connected with an
independent pipe so that the lowering of the extensible treads will be under
the control of the engineer who would operate them independently of the brake
system.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is ;
1. A railway carriage or car provided with extensible treads, substantially as

page_text: 2. The combination, with a tread formed with an inclined plate, of an arm con-
nected to said plate, a piston carried by the arm, a spring arranged in connection with
the piston, a cylinder, and connections between the cylinder and the compressed air
reservoir, substantially as described.
3. The combination, with the permanent steps of a railway carriage or car, of a tread
adjustably connected thereto, a cylinder, a piston arranged therein, connections between
the piston and the tread, and connections between the cylinder and the compressed air
reservoir, substantially as described.
4. The combination, with the permanent steps of a railway carriage or car, of
castings formed with ways connected thereto, treads having inclined plates which
carry anti-friction rollers, said rollers resting within the ways, arms connected to the
plates, pistons connected to the arms, cylinders within which the pistons are fitted,
springs arranged in connection with the pistons, and connections between the cylinders
and the compressed air reservoir, substantially as described.
5. The combination, with the permanent steps of a railway carriage or car, of
extensible treads arranged in connection therewith, pistons connected to the extensible
treads, cylinders in which the pistons are fitted, a connection between the cylinders
and the air reservoir, and a valve arranged to control the passage from the reservoirs
to the cylinders, substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1990.
Daleu ISOTU day
JAMES F. WOOD.
JOHN F. WOOD.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents