Improvements in Attachments for Car Steps.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 6th Mar., 1897
Improvements in Attachments for Car Steps.
I, CHARLES MCLENNON of Spring Gulch, in the County of Pitkin and State
of Colorado, United States of America, Blacksmith, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
declared and ascertained in and by the following statement :--
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My invention relates to attachments for car steps and has for its object to
provide an improved and simple supplementary car step adapted to be folded when
not in use.
The invention consists in the features of construction hereinafter fully
described.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the steps as applied to a car.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the steps with the lower step dropped.
Figure 3 a section through the steps with the lower step dropped, and
Figure 4, a similar section with the lower step closed.
Treads 1, 12, riser 2 and horses 3 constitute a pair of ordinary car steps. The
riser 4 of my invention is hinged as at 5 beneath the edge of the lowermost
tread 1. The tread 6 is hinged to the riser 4 as at 7. A tongue or tongues 8
having a slotted end 8' is fastened to the under side of said tread. A rock shaft 9
is journaled in one of the horses 3, as at 10, and in a bearing or bearings 11.
A rock lever or levers 12, attached to said rock shaft, has or have a bifurcated end
or ends 13. A pin 14 passes through the bifurcated end 13 and through the
slot 8 of the tongue 8, thus connecting said tongue and said lever. A hand
lever 15 is attached to the exterior end of the rock shaft. A plate 16 is attached
to the steps. Through a slot 17 in this plate extends the end of the hand lever 15.
Lateral recesses 18 are formed in this slot at the ends thereof. Springs 19 are
provided to normally urge the hand lever 15 in the direction of these recesses.
In operation the step is held either fully opened by depressing the lever 15 till
it drops into the lower recess 18 or it is held closed by raising the lever to engage
with the other recess. A simple movement of the hand lever operates my device
by its connection through the rock shaft and lever with the step.
It will be plain that this device may be readily applied to any existing car steps
and will afford a simple, cheap and durable step for use in stations; replacing at a
small cost the inconvenient hand steps or stools used at present.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. The combination with car steps, of a supplementary folding step and means
for operating said supplementary step.
2. The combination with car steps, of a supplementary folding step attached
thereto, a rock shaft provided with one or more rocker arms attached to said step
and means for operating said rock shaft.
3. The combination with car steps, of a supplementary folding step having the
riser thereof hinged to the afore-mentioned car steps, and the tread thereof hinged
to said riser, a tongue or tongues fixed to said tread, a rock shaft provided with one

page_text: or more rocker arms attached to said tongue or tongues, and means for operating
said rock shaft.
4. The combination with car steps, of a supplementary folding step having the
riser thereof hinged to the afore-mentioned car steps, and the tread thereof hinged
to said riser, a tongue or tongues fixed to said tread, a rock shaft provided with one
or more rocker arms attached to said tongue or tongues, a lever to operate said
rock shaft, and means to lock said lever in position.
5. The combination with car steps, of a supplementary folding step having the
riser thereof hinged to the afore-mentioned car steps and the tread thereof hinged
to said riser, a tongue or tongues fixed to said tread, a rock shaft provided with
one or more rocker arms attached to said tongue or tongues, a lever to operate said
rock shaft, a slotted plate attached to said car steps, recesses in the slot adapted
to receive the handle of said lever, and a spring normally holding said lever in one
of said recesses.
Dated this 4th day of January 1897
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.