IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PASSENGER CARRIAGES FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOHN RAYNER BANKS of 112 Redland Road, Redland, Bristol, Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF PASSENGER CARRIAGES FOR RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS to be as follows:-
The construction of two-storied passenger carriages for railways, presents this
difficulty viz-that if the two stories be simply superposed the one on the other,
cither the combined height is objectionably great or the stories, one or both, are so
low as to prevent a person of ordinary height walking or standing upright
in them.
Now according to my invention I construct two-storied carriages in such manner
that whilst ample height is afforded in both stories the combined height of the two
stories is not objectionably great
With this object I construct the upper story, or each compartment of the upper
story when it has more than one compartment, with a longitudinal well at or near
the middle, say 18 inches deep and 24 inches wide more or less. The space
occupied by this well is taken out of the compartment or compartments of the
lower story. The portions of the roof of the lower story at the two sides of the
well (properly trussed laterally) constitute the seats or seat supports of the upper
story which are therefore vis-a-vis, the passengers when seated having their feet on
the bottom of the well which thus forms the floor of the upper story. The seats in
the lower story on the contrary are arranged back-to-back below the well so as to
face the sides of the carriage. By this arrangement the combined height of the
two stories is reduced by an amount equal to the depth of the well together with
the thickness of the joists and upper flooring generally used in this class of vehicle,
while there is no reduction of the available height for passengers to walk or stand
in either compartment because in the upper story a passenger when upright will
have his feet on the floor of the well, and in the lower story a passenger when
upright will have his feet on a part of the floor of this story which is not below the
well so that the well is not in the way of his head.
The entrance or entrances to the upper story are at or near the middle of the
end or ends of the carriage and extend from the floor of the well upwards. As

page_text: the height to which passengers have to mount to reach this story is reduced,
I gain the further advantage of being able to make the steps or ladders less steep,
which is of considerable importance especially in the case of narrow gauge vehicles.
The entrance or entrances to the lower story may be at the side or sides of the
carriage, but when side entrances are not considered desirable, they may be at the
end or ends towards one side thereof. If the entrances to the lower story be at
the sides of the carriage I prefer to have them at the middle and to have a central
transverse corridor intercepting the well above at this point so as to allow persons
to pass from one side of the carriage to the other. If the entrances of the lower
story be at the ends, this corridor can be dispensed with if desired, and the seats
of this story, as well as those of the upper story, will run from end to end of the
carriage.

page_text: Railways and Tramways.
I JOHN RAYNER BANKS, of 112 Redland Road, Redland, Bristol Engineer 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:.
The construction of two-storied passenger carriages for railways presents this
difficulty, viz., that if the two stories be simply superposed the one on the other
either the combined height is objectionably great, or the stories, one or both, are so
low as to prevent a person of ordinary height walking or standing upright
in them.
Now according to my invention I construct two-storied carriages in such manner
that whilst ample height is afforded in both stories the combined height of the two
stories is not objectionably great.
With this object I construct the upper story, or each compartment of the upper
story when it has more than one compartment, with a longitudinal well at or near
the middle, say 18 inches deep and 24 inches wide, more or less. The space
occupied by this well is taken out of the compartment or compartments of the
lower story. The portions of the roof of the lower story at the two sides of the
well (properly trussed laterally) constitute the seats or seat supports of the upper
story which are therefore vis-à-vis, the passengers when seated having their feet
on the bottom of the well which thus forms the floor of the upper story. The
seats in the lower story on the contrary are arranged back to back below the well
so as to face the sides of the carriage. By this arrangement the combined height
of the two stories is reduced by an amount equal to the depth of the well together
with the thickness of the joists and upper flooring generally used in this class of
vehicle, while there is no reduction of the available height for passengers to walk
or stand in either compartment because in the upper story a passenger when
upright will have his feet on the floor of the well, and in the lower story a
passenger when upright will have his feet on a part of the floor of this story which
is not below the well so that the well is not in the way of his head.
The entrance or entrances to the upper story are at or near the middle of the
end or ends of the carriage and extend from the floor of the well upwards. As
the height to which passengers have to mount to reach this story is reduced, I gain
the further advantage of being able to make the steps or ladders less steep, which
is of considerable importance especially in the case of narrow gauge vehicles. The
entrance or entrances to the lower story may be at the side or sides of the carriage,
but when side entrances are not considered desirable, they may be at the end or
ends towards one side thereof. If the entrances to the lower story be at the sides.
of the carriage I prefer to have them at the middle and to have a central transverse
corridor intercepting the well above at this point so as to allow persons to pass
from one side of the carriage to the other. If the entrances of the lower story be
at the ends this corridor can be dispensed with, if desired, and the seats of this
story as well as those of the upper story will run from end to end of the carriage.

page_text: The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention. Figure 1 is a side elevation
partly in section on lines A B C D Figure 2 of a two-storied passenger carriage
embodying my improvements; Figure 2 is a horizontal section the left hand half
showing a plan of the upper compartment and the right hand half a plan of the
lower compartment. Figure 3 is an end elevation and Figure 4 a section on
line E F of Figure 1. These figures represent a carriage in which the entrances to
the lower floor are at the sides. Figure 5 is an elevation of a carriage in which
the entrances to the lower floor are at the ends. a a is the upper story and b b the
lower story. Each story, in the carriage shown in Figures 1 to 4, is divided
transversely into two compartments, the upper story by a partition and the lower
story by a corridor c. Each compartment of the upper story is constructed with a
longitudinal well & the space occupied by which is taken (as is clearly seen in
Figure 4) out of the compartments of the lower story. The portions e e of the roof
of the lower story constitute the seats or seat supports of the upper story which
are therefore vis-à-vis, the bottom of the well d forming the floor of this story..
The seats ff in the lower story are arranged back to back below the well d.
gg are the entrances or doors to the upper story; they are at the ends of the
carriage. h h are the steps or ladders leading to these entrances. ii are the
entrances to the lower story; in the carriage illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, as has
been already stated, these entrances are at the sides. In the carriage illustrated in
Figure 5 the entrances to the lower story are at the ends towards one side thereof;,
in this case the corridor c (Figure 2) can be dispensed with if desired and the seats
of both stories will run from end to end of the carriage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. Constructing two-storied railway or tramway carriages with a well in the
upper story extending down into, and taken out of, the lower story and arranging
the seats relatively to this well so that it forms the floor of the upper story and is
above the seats of the lower story, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
2. Constructing two-storied railway or tramway carriages as hereinbefore
described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
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