A CONVERTIBLE DAY AND NIGHT RAILWAY CARRIAGE.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Chute Ellis, of Piccadilly, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "A CONVERTIBLE DAY AND
NIGHT RAILWAY CARRIAGE.”.
Sealed the 12th November 1872, and dated the 13th May 1872.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Chute Ellis at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th May 1872.
I, JOHN OHUTE ELLIS, of Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
“A CONVERTIBLE DAY AND NIGHT RAILWAY CARRIAGE," to be as follows:—
This Invention consists in dividing the carriage into sections fitted
with doors at the ends and sides so that when one section is used as a
day carriage the doors at the sides will be used in the ordinary way, and
the end doors closed. A seat is fixed in the place where the passage
would be in the case of using it as a night carriage. The several
sections are fitted with curtains so as to be able to convert them into
private compartments at pleasure.

page_text: By my improved arrangement I am enabled to convert one half or
other part of a carriage into a sleeping compartment, a state room, or
ordinary day carriage..
In the sleeping compartment for stowing away the bedding I
construct a shelf suspended from the ceiling, and raise or lower it by 5
means of pulleys. The bedding is placed on this shelf, when not in
use is raised to the ceiling of the carriage. To form the upper bed the
shelf is lowered to a suitable distance from the ground and fixed there
by any suitable means. For the bottom bed I construct a shelf between
the seats with cushions thereon, using the said shelf in the day time as a
table.
1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Chute Ellis in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CHUTE ELLIS, of Picadilly, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Chute Ellis, Her special licence that
I, the said John Chute Ellis, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Chute Ellis, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "A CONVERTIBLE DAY AND NIGHT
RAILWAY CARRIAGE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Chute Ellis, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, 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

page_text: 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 John Chute Ellis, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
illustrative Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say :-
This Invention consists in dividing the carriage into sections fitted
with sliding or other doors at the ends and sides, so that one section may
be used as an ordinary day carriage, and another section may be used as
a sleeping compartment. Along or longitudinally through the centre of
the carriage runs a passage, which at one end communicates with a
transverse passage fitted with side entrance doors and a further door
opposite the end of the central longitudinal passage leeds into a com-
partment fitted on either side with lavatories for gentlemen and ladies,
and a conductor's compartment. The several sections on each side of
the central longitudinal passage are fitted with curtains, so as to be able
to convert them into private compartments at pleasure, and thus by my
improved arrangement I am enabled to convert one half or other part of
a carriage into a sleeping compartment, a state room, or an ordinary day
carriage.
When one section or compartment is required to be used as a day
carriage while another section is used as a sleeping compartment, the
doors at the side will be used in the ordinary way and a seat is fixed in
the place where the passage would be in the case of using it as a night
carriage or sleeping compartment.
In each compartment for stowing away the bedding I employ a shelf
suspended from the ceiling and raised and lowered by a suitable pulley
and gearing arrangement; said gearing consisting of ropes or cords
fastened to the four corners of the moveable shelf, and rove over fixed
pulleys; six pulleys are used two of which are set at right angles to the
others, and the said ropes are joined together and are connected with
one haul rope. To form the upper bed the shelf is lowered on to
brackets, studs, or other suitable supports fixed at the required distance
from the ground. For the bottom bed I use a shelf between the scats

page_text: with cushions thereon, using the reverse side of the said shelf in the
daytime as a table.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a plan of my improved
arrangement of railway carriage; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line
0, 2, of Fig. 1, with an additional compartment shewn for facility of t
illustration; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a compartment
shewing the application of a movable folding seat across the central
longitudinal passage when arranged as a day carriage.
In Fig. 1 A is a longitudinal passage connected with a transverse
passage B, fitted with side entrance doors, and a door opposite the end 1
of the passage A leads into a compartment O, fitted on either side with
lavatories D, D, for gentlemen and ladies; a conductor's compartment E
is entered through a sliding door from the compartment C. The
carriage is divided into several sections or compartments F on either
side of the passage A, and curtains are fixed to enable the sections to be 1
shut off from the passage A at pleasure.
In each compartment F for stowing away the bedding I employ a
shelf G, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) suspended from the ceiling and raised and
lowered by suitable pulley and gearing arrangement; said gearing con-
sisting of ropes or cords fastened to the four corners of the movable shelf 2
and rove over fixed pulleys, six pulleys are used two of which are set at
right angles to the others, and the said ropes are joined together and are
connected with a haul rope by which means the shelf can be raised and
lowered at pleasure. To form the upper bed the shelf is lowered on to
brackets, studs, or other suitable supports fixed at the required distance 2
from the ground (see section 2ª Fig. 2). For the bottom bed I use a
shelf between the seats with cushions thereon (see section 2b Fig. 2),
using the reverse side of the said shelf in the day time as a table (see
section 2° Fig 2).
When one section or compartment is required to be used as a day 3
carriage while another section is used as a sleeping compartment, the
doors at the sides will be used in the ordinary way and a scat H, Fig. 3,
is fixed in the place where the passage would be in the case of using it
as a night carriage or sleeping compartment. The seat H is hinged for
folding up when this arrangement of the carriage is not employed, and is 3
provided with slide bolts for fixing it in position.

page_text: Having now described my said Invention, I claim, the improved
arrangements for dividing the interiors of railway carriages into sections
for day and night or ordinary day and sleeping compartments, substan-
tially as described.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Chute Ellis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of November One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-two.