AN IMPROVED RAILWAY SLEEPING CARRIAGE, AND AN IMPROVED TYRE IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT
to Percy Burrell and Henry Valpy, both of 5,
Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineers, for
the Invention of AN IMPROVED RAILWAY SLEEPING CARRIAGE, AND AN
IMPROVED TYRE IN CONNECTION THEREWITH."
66
Sealed the 20th July 1875, and dated the 25th January 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Percy Burrell and
Henry Valpy at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 25th January 1875.
We, PERCY BURRELL, and HENRY VALPY, both of 5, Victoria Street,
in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED RAILWAY SLEEPING CARRIAGE
AND AN IMPROVED TYRE. IN CONNECTION THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
-
'
This Invention has for its object the economical provision of sleeping
berths in railway carriages, and arrangements by which passengers may
travel with greater safety, comfort, and privacy, and may be enabled to
use sanitary conveniences whilst travelling.

page_text: The nature of the Invention consists in the mode in which part of the
sleeping berth apportioned to one passenger, longitudinally in a railway
carriage, is placed under or by the side of the berth space allotted to
another passenger, so as to effect a saving in the length of the carriage
without the danger and inconvenience of placing one passenger's berth
over another in the same compartment, and in special sanitary con-
veniences for the carriages; also in an improved method of fixing tyres
to wheels of carriages for railways.
The frames may be of any ordinary construction made suitable to the
bodies of the carriages, and running on four or more wheels of ordinary
description, or with the tyres fixed as herein described, and with springs
and other requisite appliances.
The body of the carriage may be of any convenient length, and may
have its floor, sides, top, and fittings of any of the ordinary descriptions,
due allowance being made for the altered parts and mode of securing
them.
In the accompanying Drawing the sections numbered 1 and 3 and
plans 2 and 4 are intended to give a general idea of this Invention; but
the carriages admit of being made larger or smaller with a greater or
less number of compartments, or with other distribution of the compart-
ments and parts to suit special requirements.
Three seats are shewn to occupy the width of the carriage, but the
width admits of being divided into four or more seats or beds to suit the
various classes and customs in use in this country; and this Invention is
equally applicable to carriages constructed on the American principle
with a longitudinal passage.
The partitions between the compartments are shown in the Drawing
as terminating below the roof, and the space between may be left open or
filled in with partially open screens of wirework or other material, or any
of the partitions may be carried up to the roof.
Folding, sliding, or revolving doors working horizontally or vertically
may be placed between any or all the seats, and may be made to extend
from the floor to the ceiling, or any part of such height, so as to insure
greater privacy, and enable the passengers to use suitable sanitary con-
veniences. These doors may be of any ordinary construction of wood,
millboard, leather, india-rubber, wire net, or other material, and secured
by locks, bolts, or other fastenings in the ordinary way.

page_text: For the greater safety of passengers elastic cushions may be used for
the partitions at the heads and feet of the seats or beds made of wood,
leather, india-rubber, millboard, carpet, cloth, wire net, or other fabric,
which may be padded with horsehair or other suitable stuffing, or they
may be air or spring cushions, so that in case of collision the passengers
would be thrown against soft elastic substances.
The cushions are intended to move and fold, and are capable of being
used either as seats or beds; they may also be made to roll; also
separate mattrasses or beds may be provided. It is proposed to con-
stuffed with horsehair,
with leather, cloth, or
struct such seats or beds that they may be
feathers, or other stuffing, and to cover them
other fabric, or air, water, or spring beds or seats may be used. These
cushions may be stuffed on one side suitably for a seat, and on the other
for a bed.
It is further proposed to rest such seats or beds on boards or some
elastic material supported on springs, so as to neutralize as far as
possible concussion; but any of these appliances may be used or
omitted.
We propose to use leather strained between frames, more especially
where stuffed seats or beds would be unnecessary, but the leather may
be partially or wholly replaced by carpet, cloth, wire, or other fabric, so
that the desired elasticity be secured.
All the compartments may be single, and the berths may be placed in
either direction. There may also be one or more single or double com-
partments, which may be used wholly or partly for passenger or for
luggage accommodation.
The Drawing shews three double compartments X, Y, Z, in sections 1
and 3 and plans 2 and 4 fitted to accommodate 3, 4, and 5 passengers
with beds, and there may be arranged on this system a greater number of
beds with 6 beds. Each arm rest may contain a chamber for the feet
of the opposite passenger, and the centre passage E may be filled
up with cushions kept in the arm rests, and drawn out when wanted,
and arranged so as to rest on each side or be otherwise secured, or they
may be fitted as ordinary carriages with seats only, or may be arranged
for the class of beds now in use.

page_text: Three different arrangements are shewn for converting the seats of
these double compartments, in all of which the end cushions need not be
moved.
The centre cushion E in the compartment X is shewn to serve also
for the back pad on one side of the carriage, and may have a support
frame attached to it or a separate support.
The centre cushion E in compartment Y is shewn in a vertical
position, from which it can be raised to complete the bed; it may be
hinged on one side and hooked on the other, or otherwise supported.
The centre cushion E in compartment Z is shewn on the floor of the
passage, and may have a special cover, and can be raised to complete the
bed. At Y and Z are also shewn chambers, into which passengers' feet
'may be placed, the top of which chambers may be made to form an arm
rest, and may be either fixed or made capable of being lowered, so as to
form part of the seat.
These chambers may be made of india-rubber, leather, or other
material, and may be provided with an air flue, terminating above the
passengers' heads, for ventilation.
In the single compartments, section 1 and plan 2, it is shewn that by
turning the seats E beds will be formed; these beds may be either
horizontal or inclined at any desired angle.
In section 3 and plan 4 two different arrangements are shewn, the
end compartments of both of which have horizontal or slightly inclined
beds, and the external places marked W, W, W, W, to the left may also
have horizontal or slightly inclined beds.
The other beds have to be inclined so as to supply the necessary space
for other passengers' feet.
The back rests A in both the sections are intended to be moveable,
so that they may serve for pillows also; but they may be fixed and
special pillows be provided, or they may be used as bolsters to pillows.
The arm rests may be fixed, or made to turn up or moveable, or may
be omitted.
Pads to step on may be placed between the cushions and at the doors
in the single compartments for the convenience of entrance and exit, or
they may be omitted.

page_text: Footstools may be placed for the passengers, and so hinged that on
removing the weight of the feet they will, by means of a spring or
otherwise, rise up and leave the passage clear.
Figure 5 shews an arrangement by which the seats may be secured so
as to be capable of being lowered to form a bed also, and the cushions E
in the centre of the double compartment Z may be raised and lowered
on this plan also. It consists of a bracket frame carrying the cushions
sliding on bars with notch to secure same, but it may be equally worked
by screws or any other equivalent mechanical contrivance now in use
for raising, lowering, and securing seats or bodies in various positions.
The bolts securing the internal doors between the berths may be so
constructed that the occupant of the external berth on opening his door
to the platform will cause a rod to be moved which will act on the end
of the bolt of his internal door by means of a crank or inclined face in
such way as to free such bolt. The centre berth will have the bolts on
cach side so constructed that neither of them can be thrown without
both doors being closed, and so that no passenger can leave his berth
bolted against the passenger more distant from the platform.
external doors and windows may also have internal bolts.
The
The sanitary conveniences may consist of ordinary wash-hand basins
and urinals, or wash-hand basins of the description shewn in Figure 6,
in which by the removal of a cork or opening of a valve the water in the
chamber F is made to flow into a basin G for use, and by removing a
second cork or by opening a valve the water flows into a lower receptacle
from which it cannot be spilt.
The urinal proposed, Figure 7, would consist of a vessel with a
suitable valve at bottom, so that when used the water would flow into a
lower chamber. These vessels may be constructed of metal or earthen-
ware, and will be so arranged that the contents cannot be spilt in the
carriage; they may be concealed under the carpet or mat, or a special
cupboard may be made for their reception.
Space may be provided for the ordinary feet warmors in the com-
partments, and such feet warmers may be filled in the ordinary way, or
may be supplied with hot water from an external pipe.
The wheel and tyre may be made in the ordinary way of iron or steel,
with the requisite metal to form rebates at H and K, Figure 8, on cach

page_text: side of the tyre, which may be as shewn, or of other form arranged so as
to prevent any part of a broken tyre from flying off from the wheel.
The key N, which is passed round the circumference of the wheel and
tyre, is provided for the purpose of keeping any portion of a tyre from
slipping off the retaining rebates H, K, should fracture take place. The
keyway N may be either round, square, or of any other section, passing
round the external circumference of the wheel and internal circumference
of its tyre, and may be placed on any part of the face on which the tyre
bears upon the wheel. After the tyre is forced or shrunk upon the
wheel the keyway will be filled through a hole or holes from the outside
with melted copper, zinc, tin, lead, or other metal or mixture of metals;
or it may be filled by forcing iron or other metal bar or bars or wire of
suitable section through a hole or holes made in the rim of the wheel or
tyre, and secured.
The object of this part of the Invention is a tyre of uniform elasticity
secured in such a way that should it break the parts cannot leave the
wheel. On melting or driving out the key the tyre can be taken off.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Percy Burrell and Henry Valpy in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 23rd July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, PERCY
BURRELL and HENRY VALPY, both of 5, Victoria Street, in the City of
Westminster, Civil Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Percy Burrell and Henry
Valpy, Her special licence that we, the said Percy Burrell and Henry
Valpy, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Percy Burrell and Henry Valpy, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED RAIL-
WAY SLEEPING CARRIAGE, AND AN IMPROVED TYRE IN CONNECTION THEREWITH,”
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Percy Burrell and
Henry Valpy, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Percy Burrell and Henry
Valpy, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The Invention has for its object the economical provision of sleeping
berths in railway carriages, and arrangements by which passengers may
travel with greater safety, comfort, and privacy, and may be enabled to
use sanitary conveniences whilst travelling.
The nature of the Invention consists in the mode in which part of the
sleeping berth apportioned to one passenger, longitudinally in a railway
carriage, is placed under or by the side of the berth space allotted to
another passenger, so as to effect a saving in the length of the carriage
without the danger and inconvenience of placing one passenger's bertli
over another in the same compartment, and in special sanitary con-
veniences for the carriages; also in an improved method of fixing tyres
to wheels of carriages for railways.
The frames may be of any ordinary construction made suitable to the
bodies of the carriages, and running on four or more wheels of ordinary
description, or with the tyres fixed as herein described, and with springs
and other requisite appliances.
The body of the carriage may be of any convenient length, and may
have its floor, sides, top, and fittings of any of the ordinary descriptions,
due allowance being made for the altered parts and mode of securing
them.

page_text: and,
III the accompanying Drawing the sections
plans 2 and 4 are intended to give a general idea of this Invention; but
the carriages admit of being made larger or smaller, with a greater or
less number of compartments, or with other distribution of the compart-
ments and parts to suit special requirements.
Three seats are shewn to occupy the width of the carriage, but the
width admits of being divided into four or more seats or beds to suit the
various classes and customs in use in this country, and this Invention is
equally applicable to carriages constructed on the American principle,
with a longitudinal passage.
The partitions between the compartments are shewn in the Drawing
as terminating below the roof, and the space between may be left open
or filled in with partially open screens of wirework or other material,
or any of the partitions may be carried up to the roof.
Folding, sliding, or revolving doors working horizontally or vertically
may be placed between any or all the seats, and may be made to extend
from the floor to the ceiling or any part of such height so as to insure
greater privacy and enable the passengers to use suitable sanitary con-
veniences; these doors may be of any ordinary construction of wood,
millboard, leather, india-rubber, wire net, or other material, and secured
by locks, bolts, or other fastenings in the ordinary way.
For the greater safety of passengers elastic cushions may be used for
the partitions at the heads and feet of the seats or beds, made of wood,
leather, india-rubber, millboard, carpet, cloth, wire net, or other fabric,
which may be padded with horsehair or other suitable stuffing, or they
may be air or spring cushions, so that in case of collision the passengers
would be thrown against soft elastic substances.
The cushions are intended to move and fold, and are capable of being
used either as sets or beds, they may also be made to roll; also separate
mattrasses or beds may be provided. It is proposed to construct such
seats or beds that they may be stuffed with horsehair, feathers, or other
stufling, and to cover them with leather, cloth, or other fabric; or air,
water, or spring beds or seats may be used.
These cushions may be
stuffed on one side suitably for a seat and on the other for a bed.

page_text: It is further proposed to rest such seats or beds on boards or some
elastic material supported on springs, so as to neutralize as far as possible
concussion; but any of these appliances may be used or omitted.
We propose to use leather strained between frames, more especially
where stuffed seats or beds would be unnecessary, but the leather may
be partially or wholly replaced by carpet, cloth, wire or other fabric, so
that the desired elasticity be secured.
All the compartments may be single and the berths may be placed in
either direction. There may also be one or more single or double com-
partments which may be used wholly or partly for passenger or for
luggage accommodation.
The Drawing shews three double compartments X, Y, Z, in sections
1 and 3, and plans 2 and 4, fitted to accommodate 3, 4, and 5 passengers
with beds, and there may be arranged on this system a greater number
of beds with six beds. Each arm rest may contain a chamber for the feet
of the opposite passenger, and the centre passage E may be filled up
with cushions kept in the arm rest and drawn out when wanted, and
arranged so as to rest on each side or be otherwise secured, or they may
be fitted as ordinary carriages with seats only, or may be arranged for
the class of beds now in use.
Three different arrangements are shewn for converting the seats of
these double compartments, in all of which the end cushion need not be
moved.
The centre cushion E in the compartment X is shewn to serve also
for the back pad on one side of the carriage, and may have a support
frame attached to it or a separate support.
The centre cushion E in compartment Y is shewn in a vertical position
from which it can be raised to complete the bed; it may be hinged on one
side and hooked on the other, or otherwise supported.
The centre cushion E in compartment Z is shewn on the floor of the
passage, and may have a special cover, and can be raised to complete
the bed. At Y and Z are also shewn chambers into which passengers'
feet may be placed, at top of which chambers may be made to form an
arm rest, and may be either fixed or made capable of being lowered
so as to form part of the seat.

page_text: of the bolt of his internal door by means of a crank or inclined face in
such way as to free such bolt. The centre berth will have the bolts on
each side so constructed that neither of them can be thrown without
both doors being closed, and so that no passenger can leave his berth
bolted against the passenger more distant from the platform. The
external doors and windows may also have internal bolts.
The sanitary conveniences may consist of ordinary wash-hand basins
and urinals, or wash-hand basins of the description shewn in Figure 6,
in which by the removal of a cork or opening of a valve the water in the
chamber is made to flow into a basin G for use, and by removing a
second cork, or by opening a valve, the water flows into a lower
receptacle, from which it cannot be spilt.
The urinal proposed, Figure 7, would consist of a vessel with a
suitable valve at bottom, so that when used the water would flow into
a lower chamber. These vessels may be constructed of metal or earthen-
ware, and will be so arranged that the contents cannot be spilt in the
carriage; they may be concealed under the carpet or mat, or a special
cupboard may be made for their reception.
Space may be provided for the ordinary feet warmers in the com-
partments, and such feet warmers may be filled in the ordinary way, or
may be supplied with hot water from an external pipe.
The wheel and tyre may be made in the ordinary way of iron or steel,
with the requisite metal to form rebates at H and K, Figure 8, on each
side of the tyre, which may be as shewn, or of other form, arranged so as
to prevent any part of a broken tyre from flying off from the wheel.
The key N, which is passed round the circumference of the wheel and
tyre, is provided for the purpose of keeping any portion of a tyre from
slipping off the retaining rebates H, K, should fracture take place.
The keyway N may be either round, square, or of any other section,
passing round the external circumference of the wheel and internal
circumference of its tyre, and may be placed on any part of the face on
which the tyre bears upon the wheel. After the tyre is forced or shrunk
upon the wheel the keyway will be filled through a hole or holes from
the outside with melted copper, zinc, tin, lead, or other metal or mixture
of metals, or it may be filled by forcing iroh or other metal bar or bars,
or wire of suitable section, through a hole or holes made in the rim of
the wheel or tyre, and secured.

page_text: On
The object of the Invention is a tyre of uniform elasticity secured in
such a way that should it break the parts cannot leave the wheel.
melting or driving out the key the tyre can be taken off.
In witness whereof, we, the said Percy Burrell and Henry Valpy,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-third day
of July, A.D. One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
PERCY BURRELL. (L.S.)
HENRY VALPY. (L.S.)