IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Rock the younger, of Hastings, in
the County of Sussex, Carriage Builder, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 29th January 1858, and dated the 30th October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Rock the
younger at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 80th October 1852.
I, JAMES ROCK the younger, of Hastings, in the County of Sussex,
Carriage Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES" to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object to enable railway carriages to carry
a larger number of passengers than hitherto, and with greater security.
This I effect by the following arrangements:-My carriage is formed
with two tiers of seats, the body being placed low in order to give the
necessary head room for the passengers in each tier. Access is given
to the upper tier by means of side doors and staircases or steps, and to
the lower or ground tier by means of doors placed at the ends, the body
having a projecting platform, protected by railings at each end, to enable

page_text: passengers to enter at the end doors. A passage or thoroughfare is
made from end to end of each carriage on the lower floor. Sufficient
height is provided for a man to walk along the carriage without stooping,
except at the gangways, by placing the upper tier of scats as shewn in
Figure 8, the space under the double scat A, A, in the centre being
thrown into the lower compartment for that purpose, as shewn in
Figure 8. The space under the side seats B, B, is always given to
the lower compartment. C, C, C, C, in Figure 3, are the staircases by
which access is given to the upper tier of seats. D, D, are gangways
from one side of the carriage to the other. Figure 4, is an end view
of the carriage, of which Figure 1, is a side view, having a roof or
covering over the upper seats. Figure 5, is an end view of a carriage,
with the upper seats uncovered. The letters refer to the same parts in
both Figures (4, and 5). The dotted lines represent the upper seats
and staircases leading to them. A, end door to lower seats; B, platform
or gallery; C, C, railings; D, D, buffers; E, E, wheels. The con-
structive details will be understood by reference to Figures 6, 7, and 8.
Figure 8, is a plan of the lower framework of the body. A, A, tho
bottom sides or main timbers; B, B, end timbers framed into the sides;
C, C, C, C, diagonal braces; D, D, D, D, transons placed underneath
the bottom sides, as shewn by the lowest (dotted) line in Figure 8. To
these transons the springs of the carriage are fixed by means of iron-
work and shackles in the usual manner (see the dotted lines marked I
Fig. 6), the ironwork being made to take the bottom sides also for
greater strength. E, E, are the wheels, which are placed under the
staircases, and closed in from the lower compartment of the body by
wooden partitions F, F, (see also Figs. 7, and 8, letters E, and F);
G, G, &c. are the upright pillars or framing of the body. When the
improved carriage has the upper tier of seats uncovered those seats are
to be supported by the framing of the staircases F, F, Fig. 5, (B, B,
Figure 8), and by other framing from the lower part of the body, or
attached to the upright pillars. When the upper seats are covered by
a roof I use the following arrangement to give additional strength :-
Figure 8, is a section of the body at B, Figs. 1, and 6. A, A, are
strong upright pillars to which the staircases B, B, are framed, sup-

page_text: porting the upper seats C, C, C. To the top of these pillars I frame
strong cross beams, as at D, and from these beams I give additional
support to the seats by means of suspending rods G, G. The lower
ends of the pillars are fixed on the outside of the bottom sides by
means of clips and bolts H, H. Figure 7, is a section of the body at
the dotted line marked A, Figs. 1, and 6, and shews the arrangement
of the staircases; B, B, are the staircases; C, C, the side seats of the
upper tier, the dotted lines C, are the central seats. The section is
made at the gangway. D, is the gangway or communication from one
side of the carriage to the other; E, E, are the wheels; F, F, par-
titions enclosing the wheels; G, axletree; G*, G³, axle boxes; H, H,
springs supporting the body; they are placed below the axle boxes,
and are suspended by means of clips and coupling plates; I, I, the
outside panelling of the body.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Rock the younger in the Great' Seal
Patent Office on the 30th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES ROCK the younger, of Hastings, in the County of Sussex,
Carriage Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James Rock, Her special licence that I, the
said James Rock, ny executors, administrators, and assigns, or .such
others as I, the said James Rock, my 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 vend,. within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CAR-

page_text: "
RIAGES, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Rock, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said James Rock, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:
.
My Invention has for its object to enable railway carriages to carry
a larger number of passengers than hitherto, and with greater security.
This I effect by the following arrangements:-My carriage is formed
with two tiers of seats, the body being placed low in order to give the
necessary head room for the passengers in each tier. Access is given to
the upper tier by means of side doors and staircases or steps, and to the
lower or ground tier by means of doors placed at the ends, the body
I having a projecting platform, protected by railing at each end, to enable
passengers to enter at the end doors. A passage or thoroughfare is
made from end to end of each carriage on the lower floor.
Figure 1, of the Drawings hereunto annexed is a side elevation of
a carriage constructed according to my improvements; Figure 2, an
end view; Figure 3, a longitudinal section; Figure 4, a cross section,
shewing the arrangement of the staircases; Figure 5, a plan, with the
roof removed, and shewing the arrangement of the upper tier of seats;
Figure 6, a plan in section on the line of the first class seats; and
Figure 7, an under side plan, shewing the buffers.
Sufficient height is provided for a man to walk along the carriage
without stooping, except at the gangways, by placing the upper tier of
seats as shewn in Figures 3, and 4, the space under the double seat
A, A, in the centre being thrown into the lower compartments for that
purpose. The space under the side seats A', A', is also given to the
lower compartment.
C, C, Figure 4, are the staircases by which access is given to the
upper tier of seats. D, D, are gangways from one side of the carriage

page_text: to the other. The letters refer to the same parts in all the Figures.
B, B, end doors to lower seats; E, platforms or galleries; F, railings;
G, G, buffers; H, I, wheels; I, I, the bottom sides or main-timbers;
K, K, end timbers framed into the sides; L, L, diagonal braces;
M, M, transons placed underneath the bottom sides, as shown. To
these transons the springs N, of the carriage are fixed by means of iron-
work and shackles in the usual manner, as shewn in Figure 7, the
ironwork being made to take the bottom sides also for greater strength.
The wheels are placed under the staircases, and closed in from the lower
compartment of the body by wooden partitions K', K'. H', are the
axles; and H², the axle boxes; 0, 0, are the upright pillars or framing
of the body. The buffers G, G, are placed at the ends of the body in
order to give foot room for the passengers in the lower compartment by
throwing the space usually occupied by the buffer springs and rods into
the interior of the carriage. The buffers are made with levers P, P,
crossing each other, which are centred to the body at a, a, and are
forced out by the buffer springs N', which also serve as draught springs.
By this arrangement the buffers have the power of adjusting themselves
to any angle when the carriage is traversing a curve. When the
improved carriage has the upper tier of seats uncovered those seats
are to be supported by the framing of the staircases, and by other
framing from the lower part of the body, or attached to the upright
pillars. When the upper seats are covered by a roof I use the
following arrangement to give additional strength :-I place strong
upright pillars to which the staircases C, C, are framed, supporting
the upper seats; to the top of these pillars I connect strong cross
beams b, b, and from these beams I give additional support to the seats
by means of suspending rods c, c. The lower ends of the pillars are
fixed on the outside of the bottom sides by means of clips and bolts.
The springs supporting the body are placed below the axle boxes, and
are suspended by means of clips and coupling plates R., R., the outside
panelling of the body.
Ana having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that I claim.―
First. The arrangement of seats in railway carriages, as herein-

page_text: before represented and described, for the purpose of affording increased
accommodation, and a thoroughfare from end to end in cases of
accident; and,
Second. The several arrangements and constructive details necessary
for carrying out my arrangement of seats herein-before represented
and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Rock, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.